


The CFO and the Technologist

by DarkJediQueen



Series: A Universe of Meetings [39]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, First Time, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 05:24:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18986161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: Aaron Hotchner met Spencer Reid once when he was a near teenager. He never thought about him again until years later when he saw him at a work function. Spencer had turned into a very beautiful and kind man. Aaron just couldn't get him out of his head.





	1. April 1, 1986

**Author's Note:**

> **Year** : 1986-2011  
>  **Spoilers** : Up Through Season 7  
>  **Notes** : Jackson, Victor, and Thomas lovingly borrowed from rivermoon1970 (I even tried to give her credit for my OWN OC because obviously, I can't keep them straight.) Thank you to NimueOfTheNorth for the utterly gorgeous banner for this and rivermoon1970 for making me chapter headers because she just needed to see more pretty men.  
>  **Beta** : Grammarly

  


# April 1, 1986

Aaron Hotchner looked around the bar that he was in. While it wasn't one of the best bars in the area, the bartender was very lax at checking IDs especially when it was packed like it was in there. Aaron was under a year away from being the legal drinking age, so he wasn't that worried about the beer that he was drinking. It wasn't like he couldn't get someone to get him some to take back to his apartment just off campus.

Looking at the cheering people, Aaron tried to understand precisely what was going on. It seemed like a birthday party, but that was a little strange, even for a bar that mostly catered to Stanford students. This place was a bit too pricey for someone to be buying drinks for large masses and not cheap enough to get a lot of students who would stay a long time for drinks at that price.

A new glass of beer was set down in front of Aaron, and the single waitress that was working to run food and drinks, not to the party going on gave him a wink and nodded her head to the corner. Aaron looked over and saw three ladies and a man. Aaron wasn't sure that man was the right term. Young man, maybe even a teenager. He was pretty as hell, and that was something that every day got a little less freaky to Aaron. Aaron had always thought that he was straight, but after the death of his father nearly six years before he had learned that he was just too scared to actually be anything other than straight. Still, Aaron had been with Haley at that point, and Aaron had never looked at anyone but her. She didn't like it when Aaron even glanced at a woman much less give an appreciation of their form. Aaron didn't exactly miss her, but he missed being around someone. Haley had stayed home in Virginia while Aaron had planned on going to law school there, he had got accepted to Stanford as well, which he had not thought was possible and it was just too good of an offer to pass up. Haley had stayed and thought that her demanding that he stay or they were over would actually make him stop and not go. Aaron had loved her at that point, but after getting distance, thinking that he would go home over the summer after the first year and try and make-up, Aaron had seen her for what she was. She was a gold digger who wanted the Hotchner name to help her get the things that she wanted, as well as Aaron's money, and she didn't want anything else.

Aaron raised up the glass and toasted the ladies because while it wasn't exactly the most uptight area, Aaron really didn't think the young man had ordered the drink for him. Aaron found that it was the one beer left on tap that he had not tried yet. Aaron really liked it. He liked it best of all. Aaron got distracted by his food and dug into the chicken fingers and fries. While Aaron liked the beer at the bar, as well as a few of the other things that he had tried as far as drinks went, he wasn't precisely as trusting on the kitchen and figured that deep fried was the best way to go. The chicken tenders and fries were excellent. While the chicken was frozen, the breading was nice and spicy, and the fries were at least fresh and hand cut.

Someone sat down across from him. Aaron looked up at the person to see that it was the young man.

"You know I would have sworn that I meet everyone who comes here, but I've tried to wrack my brain, and I just can't place you."

"I don't come here often at all. I've only been at Stanford for two years."

"Same here. Though given that very nice accent, you came from a lot longer distance than I did. Virginia?"

"Yes. You are good, but you are from around there as well."

"Arlington." The man leaned across the table. "Jackson Grimes."

"Aaron Hotchner." Aaron held out his hand and shook Jackson's. "So, what is going on here?"

"It's my birthday, and I wanted to throw a party to make some people happy. I don't really celebrate my birthday and haven't since I turned thirteen. Still, I have an image to maintain, so I do it to have fun."

"Eighteen, huh? And still, you can buy a beer?" Aaron raised up his glass to Jackson.

"I don't drink, and he thinks you are old enough. The bartender is more than willing to help me land a lover for the night."

"A lover for the night, and you pick me?" Aaron asked. He looked at the beer and then at Jackson. He downed the beer and set the glass down. "So, why did you pick me?"

"Because I think besides myself, you are the best-looking male in here."

"And you like males?" Aaron asked. He looked at everyone else in the bar. No one was looking at them at all. No one was paying attention to them at all. Aaron swallowed as he waited for Jackson to answer.

"I do. I saw you checking me out more than the ladies I was with but if this is...I don't do well with men who are in the closet."

"It's not that. I don't think that I want to be in the closet. I just...have never done anything like this before. Up until coming to college here, I had a girlfriend because it was what I was supposed to do, but I am not sure if I am bisexual, gay, straight, or something else. You are pretty, and I know that you know it, and I'm interested."

"You know if it weren't for the fact that I'm insanely turned on by you, I would probably turn you down. So let's go back to your place because I live in a dorm where I am watched by the RA closely because, in his eyes, I am a fragile genius who needs a babysitter. I ducked him to come out tonight, or this wouldn't be happening."

"Genius?"

"Never been tested, don't want to be tested. I know I am smart, and that is all that matters. You do have a place, yes?" Jackson asked as he stood up.

"Yes, I have a place. I have a place all to myself. The apartment that I rent. I refuse to stay in dorms when I am working on my law degree."

"Not, pre-law?" Jackson asked.

Aaron smirked and shook his head. He dropped a little money on the table for a tip to the waitress and then looked back up at Jackson. "No. I've already finished that back home. I'm here for my criminal law degree so I can become a prosecutor."

"Really? I'm working on a law degree as well. I did my pre-law while getting my masters of business administration and a bachelor of information technology."

Aaron looked at Jackson, trying to figure out if the man was lying, but he did not seem to be.

"My apartment is walking distance," Aaron said with a smile on his face. Jackson smiled back.

There was idle chit chat on the way to Aaron's apartment. Aaron tried not to think about what was going to happen when they got to his place, but he couldn't. The night was warm, almost too warm for Aaron's liking. He still wasn't used to the whole not a lot of change in seasons as far as the weather went, but he enjoyed not having to bundle up a great deal. Especially when we went on his runs before class in the mornings.

Aaron unlocked his door and toed off his shoes as soon as he got inside. He lined them up on the mat that was just inside the door. Jackson was taking his off without Aaron, even having to say a word.

"Not much here but a single bedroom and it doesn't share a bathroom with the rest of the place. I liked that so if I had friends over they don't have to go through my bedroom to get to the bathroom. It's actually the main reason that I bought the place to rent."

"So, you have money." Jackson was looking around the apartment with a careful eye.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you have a nice place filled with nice things and while I didn't recognize you I know the name of Hotchner. I remember when your father died a few years back. I can't remember your mother's name, but then I didn't rub elbows with that side of society that much after my mother died."

Aaron looked at Jackson, and for a few seconds, Aaron was worried that this was some big thing to get his trust taken from him by his mother, but even if she tried it, there was nothing she could do to touch his money. It would go to his child if he ever had one or Sean's first born if Aaron did not have any kids by the time that he died. Aaron's grandfather had made sure that Aaron's trust was ironclad and that no one could touch it. There wasn't a moral clause to the trust, but a case could be made on it. Aaron looked at Jackson though, and he saw someone who was honest, sometimes too honest probably. Aaron didn't trust easily at all. He had spent too many years being abused, and trust was a scarce and limited commodity.

"I don't think I remember the name Grimes."

"You wouldn't but the sacrifice that my father made, dying in combat as a Seal elevated mother and me up in Virginian society. We usually only had to do things around Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July. There was one huge cookout that your father held a few years before he died. I was at that cookout, but you were elsewhere they said. Your father never said where."

Aaron remembered that well. He had spent the summer getting over the broken arm his father had given him. He had talked back, and his father was too drunk to hit him, so Aaron had left. He hadn't heard his father coming up behind him and shoving him down the stairs. Aaron had been stuck in his bedroom for the two days leading up to the cookout in the backyard and another two after for a total of five days. The extra days had been cleaning before and after as well as setting up and tearing down. Aaron hadn't been allowed out of the house until the bruises were gone as there was one on his face that couldn't be mistaken for anything except what it was, where his father had slapped him in the face.

"Hey," Jackson said as he stepped up to him. Jackson's hand settled on Aaron's cheek, and Aaron didn't want to talk. He didn't want to reveal anything about where he was then, or ever really. Aaron looked behind Jackson, and he smiled to himself as there was nothing behind him except for the empty stretch of the wall that wasn't separating Aaron's apartment from anything. Aaron used that patch of wall to bounce a tennis ball off of it when he thinking on papers and such for his classes. Since there was nothing but open air on the other side, Aaron could do it without bothering anyone. The floors in the apartment were actually thick enough that walking and other things didn't carry that way. Aaron had paid good money to get his apartment, and he was pleased with it.

Aaron reached out and laid his hand over the upper area of Jackson's ribs. He pushed, directing Jackson back into the wall. Jackson reached up and grabbed the back of Aaron's neck before pulling him close enough to kiss. Jackson rubbed his lips over Aaron's before he pulled back and they just stayed like that breathing on each other.

"Until you tell me to stop, or to slow down at all, Aaron, I'm not going to. I've looked at you all night as you watched my party going on, as you watched everyone and found them lacking in some way but when you looked at me, you didn't. So, Aaron Hotchner, how about you show me your bedroom?"

"Yes," Aaron said. He used the hand on Jackson's chest to pull him by the neck into the bedroom. Aaron smiled as he thought about the fact that he had actually cleaned in his bedroom last night. Not that it was actually dirty or anything like that but his laundry had been washed and put up, and his bedclothes changed. Aaron had even emptied the trash. Aaron didn't stop walking until he felt the bed at his knees, and then he just sat down. Jackson was grinning at him from where he was still standing. Jackson reached up and threaded both hands through Aaron's short hair, scratching a little as he did. Aaron moaned at that sensation.

"Are you like a cat?" Jackson asked. He tightened one of his hands in what little of Aaron's hair there was and tipped it his head back to where he could give Aaron a full and proper kiss. Aaron didn't pay attention to anything but that mouth on his. Aaron felt no need to try and control the kiss. He felt no need to try and do anything but take what was given to him. The clink of a belt said that Jackson was taking his pants off, but that thought did not scare Aaron at all.

Jackson tore his mouth away from Aaron and grabbed the hem of Aaron's shirt to pull it up over his head. Jackson still had his shirt on, but his pants were gone. They were opposites.

"I've been imaging this since I saw you walk into the bar," Jackson said.

"Yeah?" Aaron asked. He scooted back on the bed just a little. He reached out and grabbed Jackson's hips and pulled him into where he was straddling Aaron's lap. Aaron sought out Jackson's mouth again, taking a little control of the kiss at first before letting Jackson take it over again. Jackson was damned good at kissing.

A while later, Jackson broke the kiss again, Aaron had no clue how much time had passed it felt like a lifetime as well as just a few seconds. Jackson pushed on Aaron's chest until he laid down. Jackson scooted down to work on getting Aaron out of his jeans. He curled his fingers in Aaron's underwear as well as his jeans and gave a wicked chuckle when Aaron's cock bobbed free, standing erect and very okay with what was happening. Jackson licked at the slit before placing a kiss on the head. That made Aaron thrust up a little. Jackson didn't pay any more attention to Aaron's cock, though. Instead, he just slid down the bed before getting off of it entirely. Aaron braced himself up on his arms to watch as Jackson picked up the clothes that were thrown at the bottom of the bed and dropped them onto the chair across the room before he took off his shirt and dropped it there as well. They were both naked now. Aaron could see Jackson's cock, it was long and lean, just like Jackson. Aaron watched as Jackson walked back to the bed but not to the end but to the side where Aaron's night table was. He opened the drawer and found lube and condoms. Aaron had them on hand in case Haley had made a visit but had just never got rid of them after he basically got her letter telling him they were over.

Jackson tossed the lube down beside Aaron and looked at the condoms before putting them back. Aaron opened his mouth but shut it when Jackson looked at him. "As much fun as penetration would be tonight, I think I want to save that for another time. To give me a reason to come back, to give you a reason to want me to come back." Jackson crawled back onto the bed and over top of Aaron, straddling his waist and looking down at him. Jackson slowly leaned down to kiss him again. Aaron realized in that instant that Jackson was probably kissing him more than was normal because he was using it to allow Aaron to get used to things.

Aaron gripped Jackson's waist and used that to rub their cocks together. It felt damned good, almost too good as he felt himself getting so very close to orgasm. Just as Aaron was about to tip over, Jackson stopped letting Aaron move them. He sat up, breaking the kiss, and looked at Aaron rather smug.

"Yeah, you are a cat. You just want to be rubbed and scratched and cuddled. I think, Aaron Hotchner, that I am going to keep you." Jackson trailed his hand up Aaron's body, scratching lightly in a few places before grabbing Aaron's chin and holding him in place as he kissed him. Their cocks were not touching, and no matter what Aaron did, how he moved, he couldn't get them to touch.

"Jackson," Aaron breathed.

"Okay, I see you are desperate. I'll have to save the long and drawn out for later." Jackson grabbed the lube and slicked up his hand before he spread that on Aaron's cock. He repeated the motion with his own and then wiped his hand on the bed sheet beside them. "You have more right?"

"Yes, whole closet full."

"Those are not words that you want to tell me. I'll make it a goal to get them all dirty." Jackson was leering as he spoke.

"You like challenges, huh?" Aaron asked.

"Yes." Jackson reached down to grab Aaron's hands. Aaron frowned a little, but when Jackson just raised them up to link their fingers before leaning back over, Aaron gasped. Jackson was holding him down, pressing his hands into the bed. When he was all the way down, Aaron could feel their cocks lined up again.

Aaron let his body adjust to the feelings, to the movement of Jackson before he started to get into a matching rhythm with him. Aaron remembered fumbling in in the car with Haley while he was home from Hargrave Military Academy during the summer. Raising his head, Aaron tried to catch Jackson's lips. Jackson changed positions a little bit so that they could kiss without one of them getting a crick in their neck, and Aaron's world whited out a little bit. He barely stopped himself from orgasm but fuck the feel of Jackson's cock pressing on his and sliding like that was the best fucking thing in the world.

"You like that, do you?" Jackson asked, his voice a little raspy sounding. He didn't allow Aaron to answer but instead just leaned down and pressed his lips in again to Aaron's, his tongue working its way inside next. Aaron's whole body felt alive, and it was a wonderful feeling. The feel of the sheets on his skin, the feel of the hair on Jackson's thighs against the outside of Aaron's. Everything just felt alive in a way that Aaron had never felt before. If this was sex with Jackson and they weren't doing more than fumbling teenagers did in cars, Aaron wasn't sure that he was going to survive anything more than this.

Aaron couldn't help it when he came, his whole body went rigid, and he threw his head back and barely bit back the scream. He felt his release coat his groin and then just seconds later more. Aaron forced his head down to look at Jackson, his face contorted in bliss as he came right after Aaron. Aaron let go of where he had a hold of Jackson and pulled him down to where he was laying down on him. A squelching noise was heard, and Aaron could feel their combined release spreading, but he didn't care. He would have to change the sheets anyway. He was just glad that he had been only sleeping with a sheet and not putting anything more substantial on the bed, or he would have to change that instead.

"I'm staying the night," Jackson said.

"Okay."

"Possibly longer, possibly forever," Jackson said, and he yawned his jaw cracking as he did. He shoved up off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Aaron just watched him through the door as he cleaned himself up before throwing a wet rag at Aaron. Aaron grabbed it out of the air and wiped himself off as he walked into the bathroom.

"Who said you get to stay?"

"You did the moment you invited me back. You are too much a gentleman to kick anyone out." Jackson looked at Aaron in the mirror after he splashed his face with water. He grinned at Aaron before shutting off the water and turning around. "Am I wrong?"

"I don't want a relationship. I'm still too messed up from Haley not coming with me out here to Stanford and marrying me like I wanted."

"I spend too much time on my computer and way too much time in a lab at Stanford for me to even think that I would be good for a relationship like that. I'm okay with sex whenever we are up for it. I'll spend a lot of time teaching you everything that is wonderful and filthy about male sex."

Aaron looked at Jackson, trying to understand this man who was just eighteen that day but seemed to have grown up very different than Aaron. Aaron had figured that he was too severe for his age, given the shenanigans that his fellow students got up to.

"What do you say?" Jackson asked as he sat down on the bathroom counter and pulled Aaron close. Aaron stepped between Jackson's spread legs and allowed himself to be moved how Jackson wanted. Aaron figured that if he said yes, he was going to spend a lot of time doing things how Jackson wanted, but Jackson didn't seem like an asshole. Well, not an asshole just to be one. Aaron hadn't felt drawn to anyone like he was Jackson, not even Haley and that said something because Aaron thought he was in love with Haley from the moment that he saw her rehearsing a play for a local theater when Aaron had been going around getting donations for one of his mother's charities.

"What sort of benefits are we looking at here? I mean, you said you already spend too much time somewhere that wouldn't be where I am." Aaron knew that he was going to say yes. He also knew that Jackson was liking this. There was mirth in Jackson's eyes, and it was kind of beautiful. Aaron knew his type in women, but it seemed, in men;, it was pretty and smart. Which fit Jackson to a T.

"Sex whenever I am around. I mean, we are both young and fit. We could conceivably fuck several times a day. So think about that."

Aaron looked at Jackson, making him wait for his answer, but the grin on Jackson's face told Aaron that Jackson knew that he was going to say yes.

"Yes."

"Good. Now I'm tired." Jackson yawned his jaw, popping again. He looked at the watch on his wrist. "I've not slept in over forty-eight hours."

"What?" Aaron demanded. He stepped back and pulled Jackson out of the bathroom. He made Jackson wait while he changed the bedding, but then he pushed Jackson down onto the bed. Aaron had never slept in a small bed. After he had gone from a crib, he had been put into his real room which had a king sized bed inside of it, for appearances. So Aaron had bought one when he moved into his apartment.

Given that both he and Jackson were not exactly small, Aaron was glad of it. Aaron got in on the other side of the bed after turning off the overhead light. Aaron scooted to the center but backed away because he wasn't sure what Jackson wanted. Jackson seemed already half asleep. He grabbed Aaron though and tugged on him. Aaron went willingly until Jackson could throw a leg over his and then cuddle into his side with his head on Aaron's chest. Aaron pulled the sheet up after finally getting a hold of it.

Jackson was fully asleep in seconds. If it wasn't for the fact that Aaron knew after a few days of studying hard, he did the same thing he would be offended. Though that was going to be the beauty of having someone like Jackson as a lover. They would never have the issue of having to be something they were not. Aaron had a long few years of getting to make a name for himself in the world of law.

Aaron thought about Jackson and why he was getting the degrees that he was. The only thing that Aaron could think of was he was going to go into business for himself. He seemed smart as fuck and Aaron could see him trying to run the whole damned business himself. Aaron had gone into the world, thinking that he wanted to show up his father by being a better lawyer than him, even if his father was dead. Aaron thought about maybe changing that. He would talk to Jackson the next day and think. It wouldn't take long for Aaron to make up his mind. Being around Jackson more wasn't going to be a hardship, and if it was money, more than it seemed Jackson had, Aaron had a good bit that he could put into it. The money he had been given by his father's will had just been shoved into a bank to sit. It wasn't doing any good there, and at least if he did give to Jackson, it could end up making him a lot of money one day.

Aaron rolled over in bed and found that Jackson was not in it anymore. He listened to the sounds of the apartment but found that there was nothing. Aaron looked at the end of his bed and found that there were clothes laid out. Clothes that looked like it involved leaving the apartment. Aaron frowned at that. He had hoped to talk Jackson into staying in bed for a little while. Aaron didn't have a class until the afternoon. Aaron looked at the clock at the bedside and found that it wasn't even seven in the morning yet. Aaron grabbed the clothes as he rolled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. He discovered that Jackson had showered and had taken care of his things.

The shower that Aaron took was quick. He dressed in the clothes that Jackson had picked out for him and exited the bedroom. He found Jackson sitting on the only counter space in the small kitchen, which was basically an island. There was a short stretch of counter on either side of the sink, but Aaron used that for clean and dirty dishes. Aaron didn't get too close to Jackson. The young man was writing on one of Aaron's yellow legal paper pads. It looked like he had written a good bit already. Aaron counted at least three pieces of paper flipped over. There was a cup of coffee sitting beside him, and he was intent on his writing. Aaron walked around to get himself a cup of coffee. It was the last, so Aaron started another pot. He checked Jackson's mug to find it empty, so he picked it up. He tipped it up to get a drop into his mouth and found that it had a little bit of sugar and a little bit of cream.

Aaron made Jackson the first cup of the new batch before setting it down beside him. Jackson didn't act like he knew that Aaron was there, but once the smell of coffee got through the whole room, he reached for the cup. He took a sip and jerked a little. It wasn't enough to splash the coffee, but he did look up at Aaron.

"My last cup was rather cold when I drank it, so I was braced for cold coffee."

"Well, I made you more. How long have you been up?" Aaron asked as he took the pad from Jackson. The man didn't fight him. Aaron didn't understand a single word on it. It must be some form of computer language or code.

Jackson looked down at his wrist and frowned. "Three hours. I woke up with a thought about a new program I've been working on, and I needed to get it down. So I grabbed a few of your notepads." Jackson pointed with the pen at the stack that Aaron kept on the edge of his desk and Aaron saw that in the middle of the desk was one that was full of the same kind of code that Jackson had written in the one with. "It's not as elegant at typing it up on my computer, but it will have to do until I can get mine set up again."

"Set up again? Where is it?" Aaron asked.

"Oh, no. It's at my dorm, but I mean here. I like it here. I like your bed, I like how quiet it is here. I like that it's not the dorms. I like that your one neighbor flirted with me. She's sixty if a day, and it's kind of adorable. She let me borrow some cream because you are out."

Aaron looked at Jackson because he was just in a pair of Aaron's boxer briefs. If he went out like that, it was no wonder that Eileen had flirted with him. She had done the same to him one day after he had moved in and he had gone down in his boxers to get his mail.

"And really it's not like there isn't space. This place might be a one bedroom, but it was made for a couple. I have a bigger desk than yours but it will fit both of our things and we can both work at it. I don't make messes, I don't like nosy neighbors, and I like sex. Sex is going to happen more if I live here. I can pay for rent. I just really want out of the dorms. To be mobile, I have to write code like this, but if my computer is here, that means other than classes I don't have to go anywhere."

"You mean it." Aaron wasn't sure what to think. He knew that he was all for it, but he wasn't exactly sure that it was a sane thing to do. "How long is it going to take to move you in?"

"Oh, I already have a few other kids moving most of my stuff here right now. Pay in beer or at least money for beer and they will do anything. I will have to go and pack up my computer and move it here. I don't trust them to do it. I thought that we could go over and do that when you woke up. I don't have any classes today so I can get things settled. I understand the flow of things you have, but tonight you can tell me what I fucked up on and help me change it the way you like. If I hate it, we will work on a compromise."

Aaron wasn't sure that was how one was really supposed to move, but as long as he didn't have to do a lot of it, he didn't care.

"What about your dorm room?"

"The college can really only keep me there until I turned eighteen. I told them I would be moving out. My mom and dad's family lawyer wanted a little control over me and in all intents and purposes made the college my guardians, which means my adviser would talk to me and we would decide on things. Caltech and now Stanford didn't want anything happening to their genius so they made sure they could at least keep me where they could watch me until I was eighteen."

"Caltech is where you went before? Why not stay there?"

"They didn't have a good law program, and I want to run my business. I don't want someone else trying to take advantage of me because of what law I do and don't know. So I'm gonna at least get some kind of law degree to navigate the business world. So here I am."

"I see." Aaron kept his words about the thoughts had he had the night before to himself. He really needed to go through the pros and cons as well as what kind of make-up work he would have to do to switch from a criminal law degree to something for the business world. Aaron had the time, though.

Jackson was a hard taskmaster to the other college kids who helped them get Jackson's stuff from his dorm. Though they were quick, Jackson's RA still found him and showed displeasure at Jackson moving out. Though Aaron had to leave before Jackson had got his computer unboxed much less set up. Aaron spent the afternoon in classes and stopped at the library to pick up the things that he needed for his papers he needed to work on the next day. He had one morning class, and that was it. He usually spent all day working on anything that needed to be done. Though nothing was on an ASAP thing so he might talk Jackson into doing something.

Aaron heard soft music playing over a radio that he knew that he didn't have. While is records were all safe, his record player had been smashed by Haley when she had been upset at him for accepting a position at Stanford Law School. All of his things like that were in a climate controlled storage facility in DC. The family lawyer checked on it at least monthly when he dropped off the check to pay for it. Aaron unlocked the door, a set of keys for Jackson were in his pocket to give to him. Aaron had given Jackson his spare.

"Your landlord stopped by today to leave you a note about a water shut off happening Friday. I asked him about paperwork to add me to the apartment, and he said he would drop it off tomorrow." Jackson was sitting on the island again, but this time he had a notepad in front of him and a salad balanced where his legs crossed. "I cooked chicken for a salad. I have the chicken separate so you can add as much as you want. I also bout the makings for a salad. I saw you had a little dressing left, so I hope it's the kind you like because it's what I bought more of for you."

"Yes, I like Italian. You didn't have to do any of that."

"I wanted a salad, I got things for it. I wasn't going to get it and not get enough for you. It's just as easy to cook two chicken breasts as it is one. You have good cookware. I gave mine away to a couple moving in two floors up. I hate my cookware. It's supposed to be good, but I just don't like it."

"How much coffee have you had?" Aaron asked. He walked over to his canister and found that it was replaced as well with a better version. Aaron could drink anything, so he didn't see sense in paying for something more expensive when the other did just as well. Aaron opened it up and smelled it. He had to admit that it smelled damned good. He looked at the coffee pot and saw that there were at least two cups left.

"I have not drunk too much coffee. I think that I have coffee in my veins instead of blood. I finally cracked the code on something, and that means that I have what I need to get my company up off the ground and really get it rolling. So really, I'm just excited about life." Jackson crooked a finger, so Aaron set down the coffee and walked over to him. Jackson grabbed Aaron's shirt and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "I really wanted to do that when I cracked it, but you weren't here. I realized that when I called your name for the third time, and you didn't make a noise. I need to keep better track of you."

Aaron laughed and leaned in for another kiss before his stomach growled. The sandwich he had grabbed in the cafeteria that the school had did not last long, and he had been hungry for an hour. Aaron turned to start to grab the makings of a salad. Aaron threw his salad together with the dressing and turned back around and settled in at the island. He had bought only a single chair for it when he had moved in. He didn't want four getting underfoot, but now that Jackson was here he would need at least one more, possibly more. Jackson seemed like he liked having people around. Though that could just be in social settings. Jackson scooted back on the island enough to where Aaron wasn't crowded.

The computer was sitting on the desk right where Jackson had said he was going to set up the new desk. Aaron wasn't sure what happened to his desk, but as it was something he bought when he moved to town instead of shipping his other, he didn't care too much.

"You know I was afraid that with a bigger desk, it would look too full, but it doesn't does it?" Aaron leaned back, pulling the bowl to rest on his stomach. He was worn out, but he thought that had something to do with the fact that his regular routine had been turned on end and he hadn't got his run in like he usually did. It was strange how not doing that made him feel tired. Aaron looked around his apartment a lot closer, seeing where Jackson had put things. Aaron had no pictures of his mother or his father, but he had one of Sean upon the sort of mantle that was over where a fireplace used to be. It had been removed from the building it seemed. Jackson had added a few pictures of a man and a woman. The man was in a Seal uniform while the lady was always in a dress. There was a picture that obviously their wedding day and then one of them with the woman pregnant. The next had who Aaron assumed to be Jackson just after he was born. The following didn't have the man in it, and none of the ones after that did either. Aaron knew that there were loving families out there. Aaron had seen Haley's family up close and personal. Aaron could have hated her for the perfect family that she had, but instead, he just wanted it for her all that much more. Aaron knew the darkness that lived inside of humans, and he hoped that it touched as few people as possible.

"Is that your brother?" Jackson asked, pointing his fork at the picture of Sean.

"Yes. He wants to be a lawyer as well one day. I guess you could call it a family calling," Aaron said. He stabbed at a bit of lettuce a little harder than he meant and snagged a lot more than could fit in his mouth. He bit half of it off the fork before starting to chew.

"He a good kid?"

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. Aaron didn't think he was a good kid, he was a spoiled rotten child, but that didn't mean a lot because he was just that a kid. He would grow up and actually grow up or he wouldn't. Aaron wasn't sure which way that was going to go. He didn't really care that much on how it went either. Sean had been there the day that their father had shoved Aaron down the steps. While Aaron didn't think that Sean needed to run up and try and stop his father, that would only turn that hatred onto him as well, but Sean never tried to help Aaron either. Sean saw it as a reason for him to ignore and belittle Aaron too. Though Aaron's grades were better and he had got good scholarships to schools, Sean was the more lauded when it came to education.

"Sorry," Jackson said.

"No. It's me. I've been thinking about things more and more with my family, and it's just...None of it good and one day, I'll sit down and explain it all, but today isn't that day."

Jackson just smiled at Aaron, and they ate the rest of the meal in silence.

"We need to talk," Aaron said as he entered their apartment. Jackson was on the couch, reading a book. He closed the book at looked at Aaron with a look of apprehension on his face. Aaron had meant to talk to him the night before, but Jackson had been working at his computer, and Aaron hadn't had the heart to interrupt him. Instead, Aaron had watched some TV before going to bed. Jackson had not woke him whenever he finally went to bed.

"Sure," Jackson said.

"I brought breakfast, and I'll shower after we eat and talk."

"A meal and a talk? That doesn't sound good."

"Well, I guess that depends." Aaron set the bag of food down. It was breakfast burritos from a dive of a place that Aaron had found during his morning runs when he had first moved to California. The food was greasy and kind of perfect for anything. Aaron handed over the first burrito to Jackson and set down the container of salsa to go with it. The salsa was made at the place as well as the tortillas.

"You spent more time at the school yesterday than you normally do," Jackson pointed out as he unwrapped his burrito. He eyed it before taking a bite.

Aaron didn't answer at first. Instead, he picked up a spoon that was in the dish drainer and popped the lid on the salsa to stick the spoon in it. Usually, he wouldn't mind them just dipping the burrito in it, but he had bought enough salsa to put some of it in the fridge for lunch. Jackson dolloped some of the salsa on his next bite and the grin on his face told Aaron all that he needed to know.

"So, what's up?" Jackson asked after he chewed and swallowed his second bite.

"I changed major's for my law degree and added a few things to minor in for the time."

"Yeah?" Jackson asked.

"Business, financial, and patent and copyright law."

"Why?" Jackson asked. His face looked a little happier, though. He looked a little less like he was afraid that Aaron was going to kick him out of the apartment.

"Because hearing you over the past few days talk about what you want to do with your business has made me want to be a part of that. I have enough money to put up half of what you need to get started, Jackson. Everything fifty-fifty. You can go back to Caltech or to MIT or to wherever you want to go next, and I'll stay here and learn everything that I need to become the law half of the company. I'll even schmooze and such with other prospective backers for later. I'll learn anything that you need me to so that Grime Tech Industries can become a powerhouse in the technology age that we both know is coming."

Jackson was just staring at Aaron, his food half-chewed, and his mouth slack. Aaron reached over and pushed his mouth closed.

"You'll drop your food out of your mouth, and then that would be a perfectly horrible waste of good food."

"You are serious?"

"I am. My family lawyer is back home in Virginia, but he can practice here as well, and he's agreed to come out and help with the contracts between us when it's time."

"For now until we get a good team in place, I'll need you to handle the finances as well, bank accounts, and everything else."

"Sure. I have a handle on that because of my trust fund and inheritance from family. I have a good person I trust to help us with that here in California."

"I have a few schools I want to go to, but they are on the other side of the country. Cambridge and Pittsburgh. I was just going to hold off on them. They have offered good placements before. I have one year left at Caltech for the classes I want to take, and then I can go there. I won't get to see you as much as I want, though."

"We can talk on the phone. It's not like either of us would have issues with the phone bill. Maybe you can work on making it so that we could talk through a computer one day."

"I have thoughts on that," Jackson said.

Aaron heard his stomach growl, so the talk was put to the side as they both started to chow down on the burritos. Jackson ate one-handed, a notepad pulled over as he made notations. Aaron could read the words as he was writing in English and not computer code. It was a list of things that needed to be done.

"I'm going to shower, then we can talk more." Aaron stood up and tossed his trash into the trash can happy that he didn't miss. Jackson made a dismissive hand gesture, and Aaron knew that he was stuck in his head.

Aaron chuckled as he walked away. He was looking forward to classes. There had been a disconnect with him and his classes, he didn't feel that anymore. Aaron had a good head on his shoulders, so he was sure that he could learn anything and everything that he needed to for any degree that he would need for helping to run a company. He also made a mental note to throw in a few accounting classes, maybe even see about getting an associate or even a bachelor degree in accounting. It would help in the long run as they worked from the ground up to get Grimes Tech Industries off the ground.

The sound of the curtain on the shower sliding had Aaron turning around to look at Jackson, who was naked. Aaron didn't even have a chance to say a damned thing before Jackson was pushing him into the wall and dropping to his knees.

"This deserves a thank you." Jackson ducked his head and licked up the underside of Aaron's soft cock, it was rapidly becoming not soft though. "Well, it deserves a lot of thank yous, but this will do for now."

"Fuck, yes," Aaron said.


	2. January 1995

# January 1995

Aaron settled in at his desk in the apartment and logged onto his computer. He was still a little unsure about the thing, but Jackson promised him that no one would be able to see what he did on the Internet. The computer dinged that he had an email once he was connected to the Internet. It was a small group of people who were part of the trial for the Grimes Tech Internet as Grimes Tech was going to be the service provider. Aaron understood more than the normal person, he had picked up a lot from Jackson over the near decade they had been working together and fucking.

"Aaron," a voice called out, and he turned to see that it was Thomas Wilkes. He didn't realize that Thomas was even there. Aaron looked at the time and saw that it was late at night. Thomas looked sleep mussed. He was just wearing the T-shirt that Aaron put on to sleep in when he was alone in his bed, which was only when he wanted to be, or those he had casual, sex only relationships were out of town. Which was a great deal of the time.

"Hello," Aaron said, and he turned around in the office chair to look at Thomas. He could see the start of Thomas's cock hardening. Aaron crooked a finger at him. Thomas walked over to Aaron and dropped to his knees but staying upright. Aaron ducked down to kiss him. "I have a few things that I need to do on the computer before I go to bed. Jackson sent me a few emails of things I need to do tomorrow for the company. I promise when I am done, I'll come in fuck you."

"I'm going to hold you to that. I'll just go lay down in your big bed all alone and finger myself open so that all you have to do when you get into the room is get inside of me."

"Yeah, that right, there will make sure that I go in there and fuck you." Aaron pulled up on Thomas, making him stretch up. After a few seconds, he put his hand on the chair and got to his feet, never breaking the kiss that Aaron started.

Aaron's head was swimming when he did finally turn back around and start to go through the work things that Jackson had sent him. Jackson was in Massachusetts doing some recruiting from the kids who were going to be graduating in the spring.

_Aaron,_

_I need you to do me a favor. Tomorrow morning at nine I need you at Caltech to work on an employment contract. I've already drafted it up, and it's there at the school. The kid who I want to recruit is brilliant, and I've only got to meet with him once. One of my old professors at Caltech got me word of him when he started at the school and when I made the trip there in December, I gave him an offer of summer employment at the Pasadena office location, and he's finally gotten back to me. I was supposed to be there, but I'm stuck here in talks with a few kids._

_Spencer Reid is his name, and he's just turned thirteen, and this is his first year at Caltech. He was very undecided about anything with what he wanted to do except for getting a math degree. He was cagey and closed off, and I can't figure out why so I hoped that maybe you could figure out why. No matter what I want him._

After just two pages of the file that Jackson had sent, Aaron knew precisely why an old Professor at Caltech had given Jackson the name of Spencer Reid. It seemed that outside of not knowing what he wanted to do with his life, Spencer was a near copy of Jackson.

There were a few other things that Aaron made notes on from the emails from Jackson before he shut down the computer. He was still in his suit for work, which was out of the LA office. The LA office had most of the office work inside of it while the Pasadena office was where a lot of the labs were. Aaron traveled between the two all of the time. He grabbed his calendar from his briefcase and checked that he did not have anything going on that morning and he didn't. So he made a note to spend all of the morning at Caltech. Jackson had likely confirmed Aaron's schedule before giving him this with Aaron's secretary.

Aaron found that Thomas was indeed on the bed with a pillow already under his hips, one leg was out straight while the other was curled up to where his hole was exposed. Starting to strip naked, Aaron thought about his ring of lovers. Aaron knew that he got into way too much what many called meaningless sex, but out of everyone that he had sex with, none of them wanted a full out relationship. Thomas was a writer, and he traveled too much for his writing. He didn't want a picket fence and the two point five kids. Jackson, Aaron didn't think that Jackson would ever settle down with anyone. Jake Durham was too much into cooking to ever want kids and Victor Marks...well Victor was going to be harder to ever place in a relationship because he didn't like sex all that much. He would sometimes do it when he needed a human connection, but for the most part, he slipped into Aaron's bed in the middle of the night and then out again in the morning. Aaron was slowly breaking him of that by waking up before him and having breakfast ready. Slowly, Victor was staying longer and not trying to run. Aaron knew that it was going to take a while longer for Victor to accept his own sexuality or lack of want of sexual attraction to people. It was going to take time, and Aaron was going to be there for all of it.

Grabbing the bottle of lube at the foot of the bed, Aaron slicked up his cock before crawling on the bed. Thomas made a needy sound, and Aaron started to kiss up his straight leg. Thomas tried to move to where he was laying all the way on his front, but Aaron stopped him by holding him right where he was.

"Oh, no. I want you like this." Aaron straddled Thomas's leg and brushed a slick thumb over his hole. In the near decade that Aaron had been with Jackson, he had learned what he liked and what he didn't like as far as sex went. There had been a brief time where Aaron had almost gone back to Haley. She had come out to California to repair the rift between them, but Jackson had disliked her from the start. It had made Aaron take a extremely close look at her and what she was doing after she had been so vehement about not following him to California and then she had just showed up. Aaron found that since him she had never landed anyone for a relationship more than about six months and all of the men found her horrible to be around after that, she was too controlling. Aaron had said goodbye with pride.

Aaron spread Thomas's cheeks just a little more so he could watch as his cock slipped inside of him. Aaron was slow as he pushed his cock inside when he was all the way he laid down over Thomas. Thomas moaned as Aaron covered his body and started to rock his hips. Aaron tried to make it last, but Thomas was making all the right noises, and his hole was gripping Aaron just right that he came just seconds after Thomas did.

Thomas was fully asleep before Aaron even pulled his cock from him. Aaron dropped a kiss onto Thomas's shoulder. He got up and cleaned himself up before bringing back three wet rags and a dry hand towel. Aaron took his time cleaning up Thomas. When Aaron was sure that Thomas was as clean as he was going to get without getting into a shower, Aaron crawled into bed with him and grabbed the blankets from the side of the bed where Thomas has shoved them off. Aaron had even been nice and laid a dry towel under where he had cleaned up Thomas's release.

"You are being nice," Thomas said as he rolled to where he could cuddle into Aaron's chest. Aaron was pushed onto his back so that Thomas could sprawl all over him. Jackson liked to wrap himself around Aaron's back and be the big spoon. Jake didn't like to touch other than maybe their arms or legs touching at one point. Victor was a body heat stealer. He touched everywhere that he could get away with, and there were some days Aaron woke up covering up Victor's entire body.

"I'm always nice."

"No, you are an asshole who likes sex." Thomas laughed as he pulled himself in just a little closer. "You just happen to have a cock that I love and a really, really nice bed."

Aaron laughed but said nothing as he pulled the blankets all the way up to Thomas's chin. Aaron knew that if he kept quiet, Thomas would go to sleep. Thomas was supposed to be in Texas, so for him to make the trek to LA to slip into Aaron's bed, he had to be stuck on a problem. Aaron would talk to him in the morning.

Aaron was early for the appointment. He found that the school was well equipped for helping the geniuses who were there. Aaron was read over the paperwork and found that Jackson was being very damned generous with his employment package. Aaron had spent a year working on the hiring packet for the underage geniuses that he hired on. It seemed though that Spencer was going to be a consultant. Spencer was going to work summers at Grimes Tech and while he was in school. There was no limit on how many degrees or how long he could stay in school, but his end of the bargain didn't kick in until he stopped going to school. Then he had to work for Grimes Tech for ten years starting two months after he graduated. Jackson was going to pay for every single degree that he got as well as housing once he was eighteen years old. From the outside, it looked like Jackson was being stupid, but Aaron knew that what he was going to get the best end of the deal.

Jackson's mind never shut down and even if he was in school, or the boardroom as they still did everything that they could to get this company to the top of the world, his mind never stopped thinking about the next thing. Whatever Spencer worked on while at school was going to become Grimes Tech property. That was all part of the contract. If Spencer worked on things on his own him, meaning not during class or homework after class, then he could sell those to whoever he wanted. Aaron knew though that Jackson would make sure that he was the only one who ever bought them.

There were three geniuses like that on Grimes payroll at the moment that were actually working, and there were five more that were in school still. No one was this young, though.

The door opened to the room that Aaron was waiting in. A kid walked in that looked like he was the young son of one of the teachers. Considering he was a in a meeting room that the lady who brought him here said was sometimes used to stick professor's kids when they were done with school. It wasn't that time, though unless the kid was out of school for one reason or another. He sat down at the far end of the table and pulled out a book from the backpack. Aaron watched him, his face still down toward the papers he was reading over while his eyes were directed upward. He watched as what came out next was a notepad. Aaron watched him for ten minutes until someone else entered the room.

"Spencer, I should not be shocked that you are here early," the woman said as she set down a case on the table.

"I'm always early Professor Sang," Spencer said with a smile.

Aaron kept back his words because the first thing he wanted to say was that Spencer didn't look thirteen. He looked like he was eight years old.

"Yes, Spencer, I know. Spencer this is Aaron Hotchner. He's the legal counsel for Grimes Tech Industries. Mister Hotchner, this is Spencer Reid. Since we are all here, I thought I would go ahead and get this started. Everything that involves Spencer takes longer than one thinks it will."

"Where is Mister Reid's lawyer?"

"I am one of his professors, and I have a law degree as well, I went through school for law to help with the patents that I have made. I was made his guardian ad litem of sorts for Spencer in all interests in regards to things that he does here at school. I've talked to his mother, and she only wants to make sure that he's protected. I've looked over this contract, and while I can see why Mister Grimes wants Spencer, and how he can make money off of this, I want to know why Grimes wants him now."

"That's because people change. He's giving me a chance to become the perfect person for his company," Spencer said. He didn't look up from his book.

Aaron grabbed his things and moved down the table. He could see Spencer's face better. He could see the things in Spencer that marked him as older than he was. Aaron wondered when he was going to go through his growth spurt, and when puberty was going to hit on him.

"What do you mean?" Professor Sang asked.

"I'm a blank slate. He can mold me into exactly what he wants. He's been sending me mail. Fun things that I've really enjoyed trying to entice me. He's showing me that with him, my mind is never going to get bored. That I'm never going to waste away and be a genius who didn't make a mark on the world."

"Is there anything you want to change on the work agreement?"

"Yes. I want my mom to be placed in Bennington Sanitarium and a place for me to live while I am working for Grimes during the summer."

"Bennington, Sanitarium?" Aaron asked. He made a note on his paper. "Why?"

"My mom has Schizophrenia, and she's getting worse. My father has left me with her, and I just want her safe, I want her better. I can't make enough money to put her anywhere safe until I turn eighteen, except for this."

Aaron looked at Spencer for a few seconds before he looked at Professor Sang. She had a sorrowful look on her face. It was rare that Aaron saw someone with that sad of a look on their face, and there wasn't a death or injury behind it. Aaron looked back at Spencer, and he finally saw what Jackson saw in him, the fire and the passion.

"Professor, I'm a little hungry. It seems that I missed breakfast. If I promise that Mister Reid and I will not sign a single sheet of paper, except for my expense account payment receipt that is, can I take Mister Reid to breakfast and we can discuss the new terms of his employment."

"I looked into you, you know," Spencer said.

"You looked into me?" Aaron wasn't that shocked about the fact that someone had looked into him. It was the fact that it had been done by a thirteen-year-old. Though he was a genius so really, it shouldn't be that strange.

"My father is a lawyer, and he knows people, and I know them. A few still like to talk to me and check in on me. So I called one of them and asked about you. California and Nevada are not that far apart, really. You hate politics, and you've taken your job at Grimes Tech very seriously. I already ate breakfast so I'll join you as long as you get me a milkshake. I like milkshakes. Especially strawberry banana ones from this shop that's just off campus. They do breakfast pretty good."

Aaron looked at Professor Sang, who nodded her head in agreement.

"Good, then. Let's go."

"We can walk. I am not getting into a car with you," Spencer said as he stood up and started to pack his bag. Aaron looked at the book he was reading, and he was a lot shocked. It wasn't anything that he recognized at all. He knew it was numbers, but what those numbers meant was nothing that Aaron knew.

"I would never ask for a kid who I was not related to getting into a car with me." Aaron left a lot of the contract work there and made sure that Professor Sang locked the door before they turned to leave. She had made Spencer leave the book bag behind but allowed him the messenger bag that Aaron hadn't even seen him wearing. He clutched that like it was a lifeline.

The walk was silent, and Aaron used it to look around the campus. He had not been back to Caltech since Jackson had taken his last classes there the year after they met. The campus did not look that different.

"So what made you choose Caltech?" Aaron asked as he started to look at the menu. Spencer didn't even look at his at all.

When Spencer was silent, Aaron looked at him, and Spencer shrugged. Aaron knew what cagey kids were like. He had been one.

"Is it so that you can be closer to your mom?"

"I didn't want to go too far. The bus ride sucks a lot, and I can't make it home every weekend like I want."

"So if I do this, if I renegotiate the contract with Jackson, it's going to take a little while longer."

"I thought about that, and I drew up this," Spencer said as he dug into his bag and pulled out a manila envelope.

"You drew this up?" Aaron asked. He expected to see something that was handwritten, but no, it was typed up, and there were the correct spots for everything. Aaron remembered that Spencer had said that his father was a lawyer. Aaron could see where the document was made by a child, a child genius but still a child, but it was good. The new parts were that he was going to work on a thing a year. If it was a massive project that could net a lot of money then over the course of several years, would be built in for the care of his mother child he was in school and then after the cost of her care would be taken out of his yearly salary. It was a damned good deal for Grimes Tech, but Aaron knew one single thing, Jackson would never sign it. Jackson would pay for Diana Reid's care himself rather than let it burden Spencer before he was old enough to be legally responsible for her.

"Yes, Sir. I used to read my dad's law books and then the papers that he brought home. I have an eidetic memory and can read twenty thousand words per minute plus an IQ of at least 187, the people tell me that it might change as I get old and my brain settles the rest of the way. I don't know, and I don't like the label of genius, but what can I do about it? It's what I am."

"Well, at Grimes, you won't be a sore thumb."

"A sore thumb?" Spencer asked. He tilted his head to the side to look at Aaron a little closer.

"A sore thumb sticks out, it's noticeable."

"Oh."

Aaron set the papers aside so that he could focus on a meal. He looked at Spencer though who kept on looking around where they were. Aaron made a mental note to make sure that Spencer had enough money for food. Spencer looked too thin, though Jackson was on the small side as well during school as he worked too much and ate too little.

"So, what is your favorite meal here?"

"For breakfast, I really like the platter meal they have. It's enough that I can take the ham and the toast and make a sandwich out of it. The waitresses bring me a slice of cheese for it as well. I take half of the potatoes home as well for lunch."

"So two of the platters and a strawberry milkshake as well as a chai milkshake."

"Wow, you are hungry, aren't you, Sir?"

"You can call me Aaron, Spencer and no, I'm not all that hungry, but you are. I heard your stomach growl. So you are going to eat it all except for the ham and the toast, and I'll get a side order of the potatoes to go and make sure you get a slice of cheese."

"You don't have to do that, Sir."

"Aaron. And I want to do it. That's part of what this is, Spencer, it's wooing you into taking a job with my company when you finally graduate college. You are cheap. I've dropped three hundred dollars on meals before to get people to give us money."

"Wow," Spencer said.

"Yeah."

Aaron stopped talking to Spencer long enough to order the meal for both of them. Aaron nearly grabbed the cup of coffee that was set down in front of Spencer, but Spencer grabbed it and pulled it close to him before Aaron could. Spencer picked up two packets of sugar, and the waitress set down a carafe of what looked like milk. Aaron watched him put his coffee together, and a second cup was set down in front of Aaron. He looked up and gave her a smile. He had not ordered coffee, but he wasn't going to turn it down. Aaron took a sip of coffee before adding anything to it. It was a good coffee for a greasy spoon type place.

"No, wonder you looked like you were going to stab me for trying to take your coffee."

"I'm used to adults trying to tell me what to do. I don't drink too much coffee, and mainly I drink tea. They just have really good coffee here, and they give me a cup and don't charge me for it."

"I'm going to take the new addition to the contract back with me today to talk to Jackson about it. We can sign the other when we get back."

"Then, why are we here?" Spencer asked. He was glaring at Aaron again like he didn't trust Aaron.

"Because I wanted to talk to you alone for a little bit, and I am hungry."

"Sure," Spencer said.

Aaron didn't figure that much would get passed the kid, but then that was a really, really good thing in Aaron's mind.

"So how did it go?" Jackson asked.

"Well, it went. He signed the contract as it but brought his own for an additional addendum."

"For what?"

"You said you looked into him. What did his home life come up as?" Aaron leaned back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling.

"Father is gone, unsure of the legal status of that as he's a lawyer and I didn't want him digging around into things too much and try and take the kid's money. Mother dotes on him. Wants the best for him and threatened me with bodily harm if I hurt him. Why?"

"Because Spencer wants to negotiate for Grimes to pay for his mother to go to Bennington."

"Bennington the mental hospital. What's wrong with her?" Jackson sounded shocked at that.

"Spencer said she has schizophrenia."

"And the dad just left him with his mother? What are the details?"

Aaron went over every single thing that Spencer had in the contract, and he could tell from the noises that Jackson was making that it was never going to happen.

"Okay, Aaron. You are going to draft up a consultant's contract. It's going to pay for her needs while she lives there. We can also back door health care for Spencer through that as well. She's a literature professor so she'll have something through that. Make sure that she has enough money for books and things. I can't help but wonder if my old professor knew all of this, and it was why he pushed me to reach out to Spencer."

"And the father?"

"We are going to find a person who will become his guardian and then we are going to offer the dad the chance to cut himself off from his family before he catches wind of the money that Spencer is going to come into. Quiet and quick."

"You got it. I'll get it all done. What about this contract?"

"Destroy it. I don't need a slave who is only doing things so that his mother can be protected when it seems that his own father doesn't give two shits. Diana Reid is going to have the best care that she can get. Bennington is a good place. One of the best in the area. I'm glad that Spencer wants her there. You can go back to Spencer after everything is done and give him what he needs."

"Professor Sang is pretty close to him. I can see if she knows of anyone who would step in to help take care of him. He seems like he's okay on his own, I think he's been caring for his mother more than she had been caring for him. So we can do all of that and then talk to him. I'll make sure that I am there for all of that."

"Good cause he's not exactly the most trusting when it comes to me. Though I think some of that could be that I am a lawyer."

"I'll be back to LA as soon as possible, and then we can talk more. The kid is good, I'll give him that. I met with his mother in person with him. I've talked to her on the phone and never once did I even get a hint that everything wasn't great. I'm glad though that he's trying to do his best for her. He loves her a lot. I'll make sure that he can go and see her at least once a month."

"He talked about he would like to see her every weekend, but I think more than money is stopping that from happening."

"Class load as well. He's still doing a lot of classes that give a lot of homework, and even he can't get all of that done in seconds." Jackson sounded a lot more upset than Aaron thought he would be, but then Aaron knew that it was striking really close to home. Jackson loved his mother deeply, and he missed her a great deal. Helping Spencer take care of his mother was one of those things that Jackson would never accept monetary or work reimbursement for. Aaron wouldn't either. The kid was smart, and the thing with his mother was going to make or break him, Aaron would rather see it make him.

"If he turns out even half as dedicated as you, Jax, he's going to help make this company better."

"That's what I'm hoping. I see something in him."

Aaron turned the conversation to something more personal and let the day wash over him. He would have to see about either going to visit Jackson if he was gone for longer or see how long Thomas was in town.


	3. April 1, 2005

# April 1, 2005

Aaron heard the laughter of the others returning to the suite. He was ready for them, all four of them. Though he wasn't sure that they were ready for him, he had snuck out of Jackson's birthday party a half an hour before Jackson had said he wanted to leave it. The gifts for Jackson were, of course, very elaborate. It was a show of how well the company was doing. The A-List celebrities of the world had come or at least begged off with a good reason. Aaron had thought that his days of being star struck were over, but a people from his circles of the world, high powered lawyers had come as well.

"What is this?" Jackson asked as he looked at the bedroom. Jackson had barely paid attention to the room, and Aaron had known it when he had arrived to change for the party. Aaron had come ahead by a day to make sure that the party setup was going well. Aaron grinned at Jackson.

"Well, see a few years ago you talked about something. I think you were skunk drunk and don't remember, but I do. So Victor, why don't you go out and hang the do not disturb sign while Thomas, Jake, and I strip the birthday boy?" Aaron asked.

"You are a naughty man, Aaron Hotchner," Victor said with a grin on his face.

"I try to be."

"I'm still a little confused," Jackson said.

Aaron stepped up to him and pulled him close by his tie before he kissed him. Jackson didn't even hesitate to try and take over that kiss, but Aaron didn't let him. Aaron felt Jackson's body moving a little and opened his eyes and turned his head to look a little. Jake and Thomas were getting into it and had already started to work on Jackson's vest and his pants. Aaron wiggled his finger under the knot of the tie and pulled it down but didn't let it leave Jackson's neck.

"You said that the men that I have relations with are all too pretty and that you wanted to be in the middle of all of us one day. So I made sure that the suite we got had at least one room with two queen beds that I could push together. Making one big assed bed that we can all fuck in. Victor can watch and join as he wants, but even just sitting in a chair stroking his cock and getting off on watching all four of us would be pleasurable to him and you."

"You are all going to fuck me?"

"At some point. I figure that we can either all go at it or pair off and rotate. First, though, I'm fucking you. I'm going to get you on your hands and knees and pound your ass. The guys can decide who gets your mouth. You've been a little shit all night, grabbing my ass, stroking my cock and the smirk all night long. You are going to pay for that."

"Well, that part at least gets me what I want. Though I had hoped that you would just fuck me against the door when we got back up here, I think I might like this better."

Aaron stepped back, using Jackson's tie to pull him along. Thomas and Jake had Jackson's pants open and his vest and shirt undone as well. Victor was back in the room and naked. Aaron crooked a finger at him. Victor walked toward them, draping himself along Jackson's back before he started to strip him. Thomas and Jake used that time to get themselves naked.

"Jackson and I are both clean," Aaron said. He had lived through a lot of the HIV panic, and these people here were the only ones who ever has sex with, in any form, without a condom. "What about you, three?"

"We got tested like you asked for and have nothing," Thomas said.

"Asked for?" Jackson asked. He made Aaron look at him. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Six months," Aaron and Jake said at the same time.

"Okay, so my favorite present was the car, and it's still up there but dammit an orgy for my birthday is right there at the top, neck, and neck with the car. Have I told you four thank you for that yet?"

"I think that the offers of giving us blow jobs during the party said enough," Victor said. He nipped at Jackson's ear. "I think it's time for the birthday boy to get on the bed and take his first cock."

Aaron had talked in detail with Victor about his plans. Everyone was used to Victor and his like of watching but usually not participating, but Aaron had a feeling that Victor would at least get in and do some kissing, maybe some frottage at some point. Aaron had made sure that he knew that he didn't have to do a damned thing that he didn't want to do, but Jackson liked it when he put on a show and having Victor there to watch meant that it would be a show.

Jackson scrambled onto the bed, settling on his knees and straddling the line where the two beds were pushed together. Aaron had cinched the beds together at the frame in the middle with knots holding them that he could release easy. Aaron had this planned and was glad that nothing had happened to cancel the party or the after party.

Aaron walked around and grabbed the lube and tossed the big box of condoms he had bought just in case in the drawer so that they were out of sight. Aaron slicked up his fingers and coated his cock before getting a little more on his fingers. He got onto the bed behind Jackson and looked around at the other three. It was Thomas who got onto the bed, laying down though so that he and Jackson could kiss as Aaron smeared lube over Jackson's hole and then pressed in with two fingers. Aaron knew that he didn't need to finger Jackson, but he loved doing it.

"Please," Jackson said as he lifted his head up from where he was kissing Thomas. It wasn't a needy ask but a demand. No matter what they were doing, Jackson was rarely ever submissive when it came to sex between him and Aaron. Aaron enjoyed it a lot, giving control over to Jackson but today wasn't about that. Today was about making Jackson the star of the show as it were, which really he was all the time anyway.

"This what you want?" Aaron asked as he pulled his fingers free of Jackson's body and lined his cock up before pressing inside. Jackson's head dropped down, and his body went lax. Aaron felt the bed dip and found that Victor was pushing Jake down onto the bed and started to kiss him. They were all five sharing space on the bed that was only what the typical size of a queen would be. Aaron knew that as things got more athletic though that they would spread out more.

"Yes," Jackson said before Thomas grabbed his head and smashed their lips together.

Aaron watched his cock going inside of Jackson and then pulling out again, pushing in and pulling out, for a few minutes before he turned to look at Victor and Jake. Victor was every bit the dominant at that moment. Aaron was enjoying watching that until he heard a sound from Jackson.

"Fuck," Thomas said as Jackson went down on him.

Aaron slowed his thrusts inside of Jackson so that he didn't jar him and make him choke on the cock in his mouth. After a few moments, Thomas threaded his fingers through Jackson's hair and held his head still. He looked up and nodded at Aaron. Aaron started to pick up the thrusts, both of them thrusting their cocks inside of Jackson at the same time and retreating at the same time. Between Thomas's hand in his hair and Aaron's hold on his hips, Jackson couldn't move. Aaron came first with Thomas following seconds later. It was just round one of what was to come for the night.

"My turn," Jackson said after Thomas pulled from his mouth. He leaned up to grab Thomas and pull him down to where Jackson could get him where he wanted him. Aaron watched as Jackson found the lube and slicked up his fingers. Just as Jackson was slicking up Thomas's hole, Aaron used his own and started to play with Jackson's finding his prostate quickly and rubbing over it. Jackson jerked, and Aaron grinned.

It took a few minutes for Jackson to get used to it but then by the time that he pulled his fingers free of Thomas's body, Aaron was slacking off on playing with him. Aaron dropped down to the side of the bed so that he could watch all of them in various degrees of sex. Thomas loved taking cock; there was a reason why he adored coming to visit Aaron.

Aaron waited for Jackson to get into the groove of fucking Thomas before he got up off the bed to clean himself and grab a few towels. Aaron had housekeeping stock them up really well so that they wouldn't run out. He grabbed a bottle of water next before just watching the sex on the bed from the doorway. Victor was on his back on the bed with Jake just off to the side, Jake's hand wrapped around Victor's cock, stroking him as he whispered words into Victor's ear. Victor opened his eyes and sought out Aaron. Aaron walked over to that side of the bed and crawled over Victor to kiss him. Jake still stroked his cock, but there was the grounding, the closeness that Victor craved. Aaron looked down, taking a few seconds to breathe deeply before he dove back in. It was evident that Jake had come already, the evidence was smeared on the both of them.

It was easy to get lost in the bodies around him, Aaron thought as he watched his friends. It was easy to get lost, and it was easy to just forget for a while about the stress and the job.

Aaron felt the bed move and opened his eyes. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep. There was a blanket over him, and a body curled into him. Victor. Aaron wrapped his arm around him and held him close. The lights were dim in the room but not out. It was enough though that it wasn't until Jackson was wrapped around him like Victor was that Aaron figured out who it was.

"Good birthday?" Aaron asked.

"Yes."

"Where are Thomas and Jake?"

"They went back to Jake's room. I'm not sure if they want sex without sleep or sleep without sex."

Aaron turned his head toward Jackson's and found the scent of Aaron's body wash on his skin. Aaron groaned. "You showered."

"Of course, you did as well, but that was mainly from being fucked three times." Jackson's words were smug, even to Aaron's ears.

"Yes, then I came back, and Victor used me as a pillow to get himself off."

"Eh, easy cleanup. Sleep, Aaron. The morning is going to dawn bright and early."

Aaron murmured an answer before he let his eyes close. He had no clue what time it was, and he didn't care. He wasn't old enough yet to where he couldn't function, especially on a day with no going to work working things going on. It was a day to sightsee a little bit. Aaron's only job was to keep Jackson out of the New York base of operations for Grimes Tech. Which usually proved harder than his job in the courtrooms.

Aaron wasn't sure what woke him up. He frowned and realized that he was cold. Aaron moved both of his arms and found that neither Victor or Jackson was in bed with him. He could smell coffee and bacon, so Aaron got up. He grabbed his robe from the bathroom door and wrapped it around his body before tying it off. He would gauge the room outside before putting on more clothes. Jackson was seated at the island that separated the kitchen from the rest of the suite. Thomas, Jake, and Victor were on various devices around the room. Thomas was writing, using what Aaron recognized as the most recent prototype of the writer's laptop that Jackson had worked on. It looked like Victor was checking in on his galleries via the cameras installed in them. Aaron would be shocked, but it wasn't like all of them weren't workaholics.

Aaron stepped up behind Jake to see what he was doing, and he was writing down a menu on his tablet. Aaron kissed his cheek, and Jake kissed him back before turning back to his tablet.

Jackson groaned, and Aaron started toward him, but Jake stopped him with a hand grabbing his wrist. Aaron looked at him, and Jake shook his head.

"He's been on the warpath. I think you are too used to it in that condo you live in with him. He woke all of us up."

Aaron looked at Victor to see him nodding his agreement. Aaron bypassed Jackson and grabbed the carafe of coffee from the machine. Jackson had made sure that a coffee machine was in the suite. If he liked this, he might buy a residency of sorts in the hotel. The New York office was new. The DC and California ones had been there the longest, but Jackson liked spreading out. He understood that some were not the kind of people who left their family to go across the country. Jackson had not settled on a location for a headquarters in the upper middle or lower middle of the States. Aaron was trying to talk him into one in Seattle as well when it was time.

"Get me, Doctor Reid," Jackson said.

Aaron looked because he hadn't even heard him dialing. Aaron watched as Jackson typed away at the computer with the hands-free device attached to his ear. Aaron was pretty sure that once Jackson was done verbally berating whatever employee fucked up, Aaron would be hard. Jackson didn't usually yell at anyone who worked for him, but given his current mood, someone was going to get it.

Looking past Jackson, Aaron saw that the other three were also staring at him.

"Ah, someone with a brain!" Jackson said on the phone. He looked down at the computer and then at his phone. "You are now the head of your division. I want your unit shut down except for your projects until it's made sure that no one else is stealing work from fucking college kids."

Aaron heard the person at the other end of the phone. That meant that he had been talking loudly as well.

"Yes, well, that's exactly what has happened. I have two different kids from MIT who said the work that they have been doing while on winter break from school has shown up in the labs and it's not theirs. After I am done talking with you, I'm going after the one who did it, but I want to be sure. Every other department that has a college kid in it at this point will be locked down as well. Then I'm having Aaron start an audit of every single patent and contract. The legal department is not going to like the work heading their way. You do what you have to do to get control of the people in your department, Doctor Reid."

Aaron closed his eyes as he thought about the fuck up that this was. Thankfully, Aaron was pretty sure that he could keep it all quiet. Most of the kids would jump at job offers when they got out of school. Jackson still mentored students and did the whole paying for school for them working for him but at the current none of the summer and winter Interns were candidates like that. So Aaron and Jackson would figure out what to do to get the kids to keep their mouths shut and then they would go from there. This coming out would damage more than just the reputation of the company. It would make it to where students wouldn't sign the deals, wouldn't become interns. It could, in the short term, cripple them and let the people they wanted to go to other companies.

"I don't expect to see results by the time that I get back to LA, but I want to see something. Security is on the way to your department now to escort out the culprit to the waiting cops. He's being charged with intellectual theft but which person he stole from his going to be kept out of the court, and it will be sealed."

Jackson was nodding his head as the person on the other end of the line was talking. Aaron was still watching him listen to Doctor Reid when his body stiffened. Jackson plucked his earpiece from his ear and turned it off before pressing the button that would put the call on speaker. Aaron stepped closer, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Excuse me, this is a private conversation, and I do not like the fact that you picked my office door lock to get in here to talk to me," a voice said.

"Well, you need to leave as I will be talking to Mister Grimes and not you, fucking fag."

"It's okay, Doctor Reid, you can leave him. Your station is locked down, and he can't access it," Jackson said. He was still looking at Aaron. Jackson was going to take this hard. It was no secret that Jackson had been out as gay since he had started college before he turned eighteen. Aaron wondered how someone who hated gays got as high as they had in the company.

"My drawers are all locked anyway," Doctor Reid said.

Jackson laughed at that, and Aaron wondered why.

"Well, you have a good reason after peers tried to steal your research more than once. What's the punishment this time?"

"Ink. That stuff that you had created for the government that won't wash off of bills so that counterfeiting is harder. It takes three months to come off of hands."

Aaron remembered now about hearing a few things of staff in the more secret department that Grimes Tech had of attempted theft. He also remembered how the staff member had turned his desk, his wooden desk into a taser.

"Look Mister Grimes, whatever this fucking whore has told you, I've not done a bit of it. He's been eyeing my job since he started here two years ago."

"Started where? Your department or the company."

"See, even you can't remember. He started here at this company two years ago. I tried to protest his being included in my department as he's too young."

"He's twenty-three, and he signed his first contract with my company when he was thirteen, Stevens."

"Sir," Stevens started but Jackson made a noise, and it stopped him.

"Doctor Jackson's ethics are better than yours, and I would hold that you don't have any. He's taking over your spot as head of developmental research, and you won't ever be able to work in the US and probably Europe as a tech ever again. Have fun working for the bad guys because it's about as close to true work as you are going to get, though I think that you'll have to survive prison first." Jackson hung up the phone with a push of a button and then dialed another number. "Frank?"

Aaron knew who that was. Frank was head of security and had been for years. Since the company had started. Frank made sure that no one on security detail harmed anyone and no one left holes in security for others to sneak in. He had caught a few, rivals companies who were trying to get ahead of Grimes Tech.

"Stevens is pissed, and he's already throwing around lies to me about my own damned staff. He also called Doctor Reid, a fag and a whore."

"I've already got my three biggest guys heading toward Doctor Reid's office. He called and said Stevens was there instead of his office. So diverted them. The cops are already on hand and know that I am going with them to make sure that Stevens is stripped searched and given a cavity search. I'll have the new guy run and get Doc some good coffee and a sandwich from that place that he likes. They make breakfast this early. And it's too early for this shit."

"Yes, well. I don't stand corruption and abuse. Stevens has been coming in early for work, and now I know why."

Aaron looked at the time on the microwave and saw that it was only five am in LA. Stevens coming in early was probably what tipped off someone that something was off. Aaron remembered having to listen to HR gripe that they had to remind him again that his arrival time at work was already generous, but he had to be there by a certain time and not after that. He had been chronically a half an hour late to work. There were three shifts when it came to the techies who worked, and each of those shifts had a four-hour window to arrive. As a department head, Stevens had a single time that he was allowed to work and it also has a four hour arrival time.

"I'll get Doc squared away, and you don't worry about a thing that I have to handle. I have this place under control."

Jackson said his goodbyes and hung up.

"It's a sign of a weak person to steal at all, but a horrible person is the only ones that steal from kids," Aaron said.

"Yeah. I've already talked to both of the kids, and as long as they get their stuff back, and get credit for any work that Stevens did on it, then they won't tell anyone. They have even agreed to sign NDA."

Aaron knew of two kids who really wanted jobs there. For this to happen to them sucked. "Rivera and Nutter?"

"You got it. I've already started to work on the contracts for them. They had full-ride scholarships to the school of their choice when they both graduated two years early, so that's covered. It's why I didn't offer them the deals like I do others."

"Stevens chose them because he didn't think they would fight back." Aaron knew it even though before now, he liked Stevens. It went to show that one never really knew the people they worked with. Stevens had no marks against him before this. "At least this didn't happen last night. I would have been upset to miss the sex."

That got Jackson laughing, which was Aaron's point in it all. Aaron filled a second cup with coffee and took it to Jackson before snagging the cold cup. Jackson downed the coffee without even stopping. Aaron chuckled. He grabbed the carafe and filled it back up before holding up the pot to see if the others wanted more. Victor held up his cup.

"So is vacation being cut short?" Jake asked.

"Unsure. We shall see. Frank will get a hold of me if he needs me to come back. I trust him. I trust everyone else."

"I can already tell you that he was in breach of contract the moment he called Doctor Reid a fag and then again when he called him a whore. So that is enough grounds for firing. He doesn't have a leg to stand on. I'll personally take his ass to court if he tries to fight it."

"And that's why I hired you," Jackson said.

"Hired me?" Aaron asked with a laugh. He shook his head. It was an old joke between them. Jake laughed the loudest with Victor chuckling softly. Thomas was stuck in his world of writing.

Everything died down as all of them turned to work. It was not usually what most people did on vacation, but they didn't have lunch reservations until two, so the morning was spent doing what they wanted. Aaron claimed a chair, and it wasn't long before Victor settled into his lap. Aaron was able to work on his tablet one-handed, propping it on his leg. Victor was drawing something, and Aaron wasn't exactly sure what it was. He only glanced a few times. Being like they were should have been weird, but it never was.

Aaron still really liked the relationships that he had with each of the men. Jackson still was Aaron's go to for everything, he was as close to a marriage as Aaron was ever going to get. They lives were intertwined in ways that were more intimate than most marriages were. Aaron wasn't afraid of Jackson ever leaving him. Jackson wouldn't unless Aaron did something genuinely illegal, but then Aaron didn't plan on doing anything like that. Grimes Tech Industries was a clean company, Jackson didn't need to do corporate espionage of any kind before what he was building was better than anything else. He collected his people, and they did wonderful things for him. Still, both Jackson and Aaron took it very personally when someone did something terrible in the company. Aaron would have to make sure that new protocols were added to hiring and checks of some kind for things that were developed.


	4. May 2008

# May 2008

Aaron was waiting for Jackson to be done for the day. He was sitting in a chair and reading a report on his phone. Today had been Aaron's first day as the Chief Financial Officer for Grimes Tech Industries, and while he had a lot more to do to get settled in, he needed the break. The former CFO had wanted to retire after many years put in before he had moved to Grimes Tech and the years he had put in at Grimes Tech. Aaron was going to miss him, but when Jackson had asked Aaron to take over, Aaron had jumped at it. Aaron figured that it was better than being bored in the courtroom. Aaron enjoyed what he was doing still, but he was getting burned out on it, and he knew it. He needed a change. The new head of the legal department was still going to push a few cases Aaron's way throughout the year so that Aaron could take a few here and there if he wanted, but CFO was a good use of Aaron's skills without fully retiring. Aaron also had all of the degrees needed to take it over. He had stepped in a few times to cover when needed, and it was why Jackson had gone to him first.

The sound of the inner office door opening had Aaron sitting up straighter, but he didn't get up. Just because that door opened didn't mean a thing. There was a big high-level managers meeting that Aaron didn't need to be present at going on. It was behind a veritable Faraday cage made when the doors were shut. Aaron could not remember the name of the person who had designed it, but it had been a Godsend to Jackson who had remodeled the main conference room right away. Only a single tablet worked inside of the room, and then it was scanned for everything before being allowed to even hook up to the display TV that they used for projections. It was like being in Star Trek. Aaron kind of really liked that. Aaron was still waiting for the day when one of Jackson's geeks and nerds made a lightsaber.

Aaron stood up as the outer door opened several minutes later. He looked to see that Jackson was talking to someone that Aaron had never seen before while the rest of the department heads exited the room. Aaron recognized Jackson's backside, having seen it enough. The other man was-well there was only a single word to put to his face, and that was beautiful. His hair was messy but nothing like Jackson's who at the moment looked like he had rolled out of bed with it. No the attractive man's hair was styled messy and looked really good on him. His body was lithe, but then Aaron knew that he was attracted to and really on a sex scale, the young man was hitting about every single button that Aaron had. From years of cultivating his sexual relationships with his harem, as Jackson loving called it, Aaron had basically been groomed to like intelligence. Groomed wasn't the right word, but it was the one that Aaron used most. He blamed Jackson. Jackson hijacked everything to do with his life and changed it for the better, at least in Aaron's opinion.

The more Aaron watched the young man, the more that he became enthralled with him. He talked with his hands and made a lot of gestures. Aaron knew that the young man had to be a department head of some kind. Maybe he was one of the new ones that took over for the few who had been moved up the ladder. Aaron had never seen him before that he could remember. Aaron watched them talk, and when it seemed like the discussion was wrapping up, Aaron started toward Jackson. The younger man looked up and gave Aaron a smile.

"Hotch," the younger man said before he passed by Aaron to leave.

"Hello," Aaron said because it was the only greeting that he had for someone who obviously knew who he was, but Aaron had no clue who he was, which Aaron didn't like. While he knew it was easier for people to know him on sight, he preferred to know the rest on sight as well.

"I would laugh, but I think it would hurt your ego," Jackson said. He turned to face Aaron and dropped down onto the table to lean against it. "Ready?"

"As ready as I can be for this. So who was that?"

Jackson's mouth dropped open, and then after a few seconds, he glared. "You aren't joking. You don't know who that is. Here I thought you were tongue tied with how pretty he turned out to be not that you didn't know who he was." Jackson pushed off of the table and waved for Aaron to start walking. Aaron got into step him with him as they moved to Jackson's office.

Aaron knew that Jackson would have to settle in a few things, make some notes and such before he left, but Aaron didn't mind waiting. He dropped down into one of the armchairs that were on the edges of the room for people to sit in when Jackson was walking around and talking. Jackson didn't do well just sitting down and thinking, so the chair was so that the person didn't have to move around to be able to keep an eye on Jackson.

"So, who is he?"

"What would you say if I said that he was the only person you have ever talked into joining the company."

"That doesn't help because I have no recollection of talking anyone into joining. I made a lot of contracts with the underage kids while they were in college, but you had already talked them into it."

"Ah, but there was one that was a meeting that ended up having you at it, and then you talked the kid into joining when I had been pretty damned sure that he was already going to join. I'm still not sure that sending you was fair in the scheme of things, but it is what it is."

"That kid from Caltech with the sick mom," Aaron said. He remembered doing that visit and taking the kid out to breakfast. He didn't remember the kid's name, but he remembered how much the kid reminded him of Jackson. Aaron hadn't followed his work in Grimes Tech, Aaron had in fact not remembered the kid's name just days after meeting him. Though he was pretty happy with how things turned out, he knew that the kid had done well in the company. He just hadn't realized that the kid had done that well in the company.

"You got it."

"He sure grew up," Aaron said.

"You still don't know his name, do you?"

"No?" Aaron said with a sheepish smile on his face. He really didn't know the kid's name at all an really he needed to not think of him as a kid given the fantasies that were also playing through his head because of how the young man looked. The memories of that day in Pasadena were faded, and while Aaron remembered talking to him, he didn't remember much else.

"Doctor Spencer Reid," Jackson said.

"Oh, he's the one that took over for Stevens when he stole from the college kids who worked here."

"Yes, he's now head of the entire experimental technology department. He took that position when the old head got the runaround from too many upstart kids on what they were working on. Spencer caught it and rolled the ball up the chain to make sure that we didn't get caught up in an arms race."

"How old is he now?" Aaron asked.

"Twenty-seven," Jackson said. He finally got up from his chair at the desk and looked at Aaron. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Aaron said. He grabbed his coat from where he had hung it on the door of Jackson's office before he had gone to wait for the man out at the conference room. Aaron laid his arm over Jackson's shoulder, and they walked out of his office. Aaron looked around as they moved through the central part of the top floor of the office building. It was where the primary business side of things was run from. There were two more floors below that were for accounting and HR and other small divisions like that while the science side of things stretched from those floors down into several sub-basements. The building was newer than any other facility. Jackson had wanted to keep the main headquarters in LA while opening smaller branches across the country, so when they had outgrown their first building, Jackson had bought up a stretch of warehouses that were empty, demolished them and built the Grimes Tech Industries new headquarters exactly how he wanted them. There were several smaller buildings on the campus; one was temporary housing for families that were displaced due to any number of things, there was one family in there after a fire. That set of housing was also used for long term project collaboration and the people involved, and the sometimes dignitaries that came to visit. On occasion, someone from the military would stay if they were in the area more than a day to check on military projects. There was a gym with a swimming pool and a health spa and a restaurant. Jackson had many chefs lobbying for that, but Jake had been the one to win because he had done the best at matching what Jackson wanted, which was a little underhanded as Jake had heard him talking about it for a long time. So Jake had trained up one of his Sous Chefs, and they ran it.

The small medical facility worked as a family doctor for many of the families who worked there as well as helping to test and develop new technology for the medical field. Their company had stretched from being innovative to work to being one of the most inclusive and better sought out companies to work for in the world. Hell, Aaron made sure when he was still just on the law side that everyone who worked for the company from department heads to the environmental services department was paid living wages. Aaron and Jackson still made money hand over fist and the only people who didn't like to work there were those who didn't like being told no.

"Have fun," a voice said as Aaron pulled Jackson with him into the elevator. Aaron stopped, pressing his foot into the door so it wouldn't shut on them and looked back. It was Doctor Reid. He was sitting at a small table near the coffee kiosk with a tablet in his hand and one on the table that he was writing on. It was one of the test phase tablets that would help cut down on paper use in the company. If Aaron was remembering right, Doctor Reid was one of the pioneers on it. His reading speed had broken many tablets over the years. Jackson had made sure that his company was at the front of what was called E-Ink technology ad the ability to make a screen look like paper. Doctor Reid wasn't even looking up from his tablet. He was just sitting there reading and writing. Probably going over notes from the meeting and making more or just notes on something else.

"You have fun as well, Spencer," Jackson said. He bumped his elbow into Aaron's side.

"Have a good night, Doctor Reid."

"Thanks, Hotch. I will. I'll clock out in three hours. I have Friday and Monday off, remember."

"I remember," Jackson said with a grin. He nodded his head at Spencer and then pulled Aaron back into the elevator, letting the doors shut.

"He's not out of vacation, personal, or sick leave, is he?" Aaron asked.

"No, no. He just rarely uses it unless he's actually sick or going somewhere. He's going to Vegas for the weekend, and he and his mom are going to spend some time together. He's got a lot of work so instead of working his normal eight to ten hours a day; he works twelve to fourteen the week of and the week after to get his time in. He's been averaging fifty hours weeks for a while now, his department is getting bigger, and he's trying to figure out how to split it to where he can have to different departments out of the one with two different heads that report to him. So I've been granting him overtime to do that as well as keep up with other things. While he's gone this weekend, I'll take over running the department on Friday through when he comes back to work Tuesday. He's been keeping me well informed. He might have to do three departments, but I'll leave that up to him."

"I knew that the budget for his department has grown over the last few years, and that's about as far as I have got in the paperwork shuffle over the past few weeks."

"Are you set to run everything?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, meticulous computer journal entries over the past three years as he geared up for retiring has made it so that I know everything that I need to know and just have to search it when it's time. I have the first quarter paperwork done and will be able to do the second with ease. It's actually less stressful so far than my old job."

"I think that you are one of the only people in the world that going up a company is less stressful. So everyone is out of town. I know that Jake's in New York working on opening that gastropub, so what are you going to do to entertain yourself?" Jackson asked.

"Well, your bed is always open," Aaron said. He waggled his eyebrows at Jackson. Jackson broke out in laughter and smiled at him.

"It is, it is but one would think you would be tired of me by now."

"Never, never tire of you, Jax." Aaron pushed Jackson into the wall of the elevator car and pushed the stop button. It was Jackson's private elevator that only a few had access to since it was so close to Jackson's office. No one would bat an eye at the car being stopped. Aaron brushed a finger over the sensor beside it that was the alert that it was not an emergency. That had been installed after one too many times of security freaking out. Aaron took Jackson's mouth in a kiss that promised a lot more than just a kiss when they were done celebrating for the night. Jackson allowed Aaron nearly a minute of having control of the kiss before he pushed at Aaron until Aaron stumbled back into the other wall, and Jackson was on him, holding him right where he wanted him. Aaron grabbed his hips to keep him close.

"We are never going to make our reservations," Jackson said.

"As if that has ever stopped us before." Aaron nipped at Jackson's neck. Sex in the elevator sounded good, even if it was just mutual blow jobs.

"No, I want to keep this one." Jackson pulled out of Aaron's hands and looked Aaron up and down. "Even if you do make a wonderful picture all flushed and aroused. Get that under control." Jackson eyed Aaron's hard cock, which his pants did nothing to hide. "And let's get out of here."

Aaron reached over and turned the elevator back on. He shook his head and tried to get the image of Doctor Reid out of his head, but it wasn't happening. Aaron didn't think that he had ever seen anyone as pretty as him. He kept an eye on Jackson as they made their way out of the building. There was a small garage that was of the hall that the elevator led to when they went down to the first sub-basement. That was where a few of Jackson's cars were. He had his ones that he drove to and from the house, but the rest stayed here for him when he was showing off for clients or just wanted something fun to drive around when he ate out at lunch or dinner. Aaron waited for Jackson to pick the car that he wanted to drive.

Stopping, Aaron saw that there was a new car there. He looked at the sleek crimson red two-seater that was not out on the market yet. Aaron knew because he had heard Jackson bitching about it for weeks. The designer had been playing coy with Jackson. Jackson tossed a set of keys at Aaron. Aaron looked at the keys and then down at the car. It was not one of Jackson's colors. Jackson liked shiny and bright. Neons not subdued. But this color was one of Aaron's favorite for cars. It wasn't the bright red that most cars were and therefore easier to spot, even if Aaron didn't exactly take his cars places where he was parking around ordinary people that often. Not these kinds of cars. Aaron looked at his simple sedan, it might have the full indulgent package on it, but the car was just a standard off the lot kind of car.

"What is this?"

"Do you remember that young nubile little thing that you bedded for about three months? It was two years ago. Well, she's the one that designed this. I guess she worked on it in between sex rounds with you. That's why I wasn't able to get my hands on one. She has been making this car for you. BMW is only making ten of them, besides yours. I'll get my neon green on in about three months while this one is yours. I paid for it as a present for becoming CFO, and she rushed the final touches."

Aaron remembered the woman well, Kathie had been her name, and she had been visiting to get some ideas and wanted to talk parts with Jackson for BMW. Three months of a lot of fun with sex and for Aaron to have his every few years flings with women as Jackson called it.

"You've talked about this car for months. Yet it wasn't named. So what is the name?" Aaron asked as he unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. It was perfect for his height. Hell, it was fucking sex sitting in the seat. Jackson opened the passenger seat door and leaned down to where Aaron could see his face.

"It's called the AMH. I never thought much about it when the name came out two weeks ago. Until I finally got to talk to her in person."

"I'm not going to live this down, am I?" Aaron asked.

"No. I would have taken her to bed if I had known that I would have got a car named after me for it. I'm sure I can get my dick working for a woman for that." Jackson pushed up and settled down into the passenger seat of the car.

Aaron spent a few minutes looking around in the car. It was roomy without making Aaron feel cramped in the driver's seat. There was room for something like a bag or two in the area behind the seat while the trunk looked like it would hold his golf clubs. The radio was the standard extravagance package that Grimes Tech offered car companies. It was Aaron's favorite set up that Grimes Tech had put out. Aaron pressed the start button on the car, grinning at it. It was new and was something that had come out in the past year thanks to the production teams inside of Grimes Tech. Aaron slipped the key into his pocket before he started to fiddle with syncing the phone and his car. He set it up to start playing music as soon as he was inside of the car and it was on.

"Welcome, Mister Hotchner," the voice said over the speaker as it was fully connected. Thankfully, that greeting would go away after this time. Aaron didn't like his cars speaking to him on the normal. The GPS would go through the speakers when it was time, but as they were just staying in the parts of LA that Aaron knew really well, he wouldn't need that.

"So, as good as the sex with her?" Jackson asked.

"No, but then she was a little minx who liked to go down on me after I had fucked her to orgasm. I swear she liked that part more than the penetration." Aaron put the car into reverse and started to back out of the spot. The guard who was at the gate opened it and gave them a jaunty salute as Aaron drove past him. Aaron reveled in the car. It handled like a dream. It felt good. The slight vibration was perfect on his body. He had a new favorite and didn't need to steal Jackson's cars anymore it seemed. Jackson didn't mind sharing his cars; he had enough of them that it wasn't like they ever fought over driving the same one.

"I didn't even get to drive it here. She had one of her techs drive it from the airport where it was flown in to here, and it's sat here all day, and I've had to think about that."

"Who says you are ever getting to drive it?" Aaron asked. He laughed as he slowed to a stop and looked at Jackson who looked like someone had taken his ice cream from his hands and dropped it as well as kicked his puppy. "How about this? I'll get smashed, and you can be the DD for the night."

"You got a deal. I'd go sober for weeks just to get to drive this. Later we are taking out into the testing fields we have for things and letting her go on the blacktop."

"You can play with my car; all you want as long as you play with me as well." Aaron grabbed Jackson's hand and laid it over his crotch. The windows, Aaron could tell were the kind that he could darken or lighten as needed and Aaron really wanted his cock sucked. Jackson would gladly do it before taking Aaron to a car, getting him smashed and then bending him whatever surface he got to when they got home later that night.

"I'll suck you as soon as you aren't driving anymore."

Aaron nodded his head and focused on getting them where they were going.


	5. June 2009

# June 2009

Aaron looked over the email sent from Greg, the man who had replaced him as the head of the legal division of Grimes Tech Industries. Aaron was glad he was doing so well at it after two years. The man had never hesitated to reach out to him if he was having issues. Aaron had finally closed out the last of his cases he had been working through the legal system after six months of being CFO. Aaron though had taken a few cases here and there that were short and to the point. This case that Greg had emailed him though could be long and drawn out. It was going to be a challenge, though. One that was right up Aaron's alley as one of the more fierce patent lawyers out there. Aaron had defended many of the people who worked for Grimes Tech when someone else sued them and tried to take their patent from them. Aaron had won every single case that he had fought when it came to patents.

The email sent back was short and to the point that Aaron would take the case. He was looking forward to it actually. Aaron delved into the timeline of the patent process that had been approved by the patent office just months before. It had come up three days after that patent had been filed that someone was contesting it. The person in Aaron's opinion didn't have a leg to stand on, but the courts wanted to make sure that due process was upheld. The interesting thing was that Grimes Tech was being sued as well as Doctor Spencer Reid. Aaron stopped at that. He didn't remember that name being brought up before. Aaron went back through the email and then through the start of the information. He frowned and picked up his desk phone. Aaron dialed his old extension.

"Yes, Hotch?" Greg asked, and the tone of his voice said that he knew exactly what Aaron was calling about.

"Why was the name of the staff member being sued not in the email or the start of the packet that you sent me?"

"I wasn't aware that it was that important."

"Did Jackson put you up to this?" Aaron asked.

"No. While Jackson has complained about your stalking the staff meetings, he's not said anything else. I had him in here ranting for an hour this morning. I just let him rant and then sent him to get coffee. I told him that I was not going to be handling it as our best patent lawyer would be. I sent him your way just a minute ago. So expect hot and righteous anger."

"As in his anger is hot or he is hot?" Aaron asked. He looked down at his pants to see that he was wearing the good kind of pants of his. He didn't have to worry about an erection being seen, even if he stood up.

"I'll let you decide that. You are the one who keeps on checking out his ass at meetings. I heard from Jackson that you joined one of the meetings and spent the whole time just watching him under the guise of looking at notes."

"I'm CFO, I need to be part of everything, just a little bit. I wanted the heads to see me and know that they can approach me."

"You want Doctor Reid to approach you. You have to remember Aaron that I'm privy to the full breadth of your harem as Jackson likes to call them. You are the one that told me the skinny on all of them to be able to handle anything that comes up about it. I think you have more people in your life than you want to know about who you have sex with, but as CFO you garner more attention than you did as head of the legal department."

Aaron was about to answer, but there was a knock at his door, and then Doctor Reid popped his head around the partially open door. Aaron waved him in.

"That may be, but it's not like that at all."

"Are you telling me that you wouldn't take him to bed right now if he asked?" Greg asked.

"No. I don't do that here."

"He's there, isn't he?" Greg laughed. "I'll let you go lover boy. You've already accepted the case, and if you decide to pass it on, I'll tell Jackson on your ass."

Greg hung up before Aaron could muster a reply.

"Sorry, Hotch, are you busy?" Doctor Reid asked.

"No. I was just discussing with Greg about something else after we talked about your case a little. So I've not read the packet that he sent me fully yet, but since you are here, why don't you tell me a little about it instead of me reading the boring file?" Aaron pointed at the screen.

"Well, Doctor Saunders was a wonderful woman who has worked under me for about two years. She was transferred from one of the coding teams in another department after she applied when I was approved by you after you took over as CFO for me to get another coder. Even though I interviewed her, she, for some reason, thought that I was just an assistant or something. I have projects that I work on while also running the department. I needed help with a line of code for some software, and I asked her to look it over. She said that she would when she had the time, and she got approval from the department head. I told her that I was the department head and if she didn't want to help, that was fine. I could ask one of the others. She said she would think about it. I guess she asked around, even going to the head of the entire labs to make sure that I was indeed the head of the department."

"Why did you ask for her help?" Aaron asked as he grabbed a notepad and started to write on it. Doctor Reid looked at it with a raised eyebrow. "I like the feel of paper sometimes."

"I understand. So I asked her because she was the first new hire that we have had in the department since I had taken over. I didn't want her feeling left out. I thought it would be a good way to do it. She gets to know me a little bit, I get to know her better, her strengths and weaknesses. What it did was cause me a few problems. She started trying to take over groups when she worked with them when she was not in the lead. She tried to make it seem like since I had asked for her help, I was trying to rise above where I was on her back without doing the work, which anyone who had worked with knows is not true. She started trying to act like she was the boss of my department. I wrote her up for it several times before she made a move that got her fired. She did not help me with the code, but she did look it over well enough that she is now trying to claim that I had her do the work and am stealing it. I've been working on this device, which I am on the third version of, by the way, this one is for talking for those who are mute or cannot speak because of other issues. I've adapted it for computer and laptop use, now I'm working on making a handheld tablet or phone for it. The software is intense, and it's only been able to be made because of our ability to compact storage devices. The code at its base is the same and has just tweaks here and there. My original code was patented with the computer I made it on eight years ago before she ever started to work for Grimes Tech. However, she is claiming the new code. Jackson wants this to go to trial to get a precedent set on tweaks of code being protected as well. She did not find the issue, and I have credited the tech who has found it. She got a good bonus and first pick of vacation for next year."

"And what kind of proof do you have?" Aaron asked.

Doctor Reid smirked as he stood up and walked to the door. He opened it up and picked up a box before setting it down. He then went back and came in with a dolly that had five more boxes on it. "This is every single bit of research I have done on the device and all of the log changes that I have made each time that I made one."

"Log change?" Aaron asked.

"Every time that the code is changed, a log change form is made, and it logs what change as well as the save point before the change is made as well as the save point after is. This is the code as it's changed from inception onward. It helps to figure out when mistakes are made. There is a saying about having ninety-nine code errors, then fixing one and there being one hundred and forty-six left. The number changes but the idea does not. She doesn't have this. She probably doesn't have anything but the version that I gave her to work on. It's the only time that she accessed it. I have a tight fist on my projects, and I have since I started to intern for this company. Jackson has never fought me on that."

"No, he wouldn't. He likes intellectuals to keep their projects until the end. It's your property until you leave the company or it gets sold on the market. He's pretty good about all of that. So this reads as more than she is pissed because you fired her."

"Yes, well." Doctor Reid walked back outside and grabbed a tablet. The tablet was red. Aaron knew that kind of tablet well. It was a tablet from HR. It was self-dedicated to an individual person who would have access to the files. Aaron saw the logo that said it was Jackson's. Jackson's personal tablet from HR only had the worst shit on it. Things that Jackson wanted a copy of that no one, but he could touch and modify. It has saved a career of someone early who had been trying to do good and nearly been accused of terrorism. Doctor Reid tapped it a few times and then handed it over. Aaron looked at the file. It wasn't a standard file. This had a police report on it as well as a standard HR firing packet. Aaron opened the police file. It was a report of a drugging with the intent to rape.

"Shit."

"Yes. I had it handled by HR and the police while Jackson was away from that conference. I didn't need him acting like a father bear during it all. She admitted to it all when she was picked up by the cops. After they read her rights. She didn't even ask for a lawyer, and she just started to scream that I couldn't just be like other men and just fuck her. She thought that all men wanted her and that her bits were enough to make a gay man straight."

"You are gay?"

"Never been attracted to a female or anyone who defines themselves as female so gay is the only term I use right now."

"That's going to help. This is going to be a smear campaign against you. She and her lawyer will drag you through the mud. You've never had a relationship with a woman?"

"The day that I turned eighteen, Jackson paraded mostly naked men and women through the bar that we were in. Even the woman who shoved her tits in my face didn't get a reaction. To be blunt, my cock didn't even twitch until a man not much older than me at that in sat in my lap."

"Then no not even the slightest bit attracted to women. I see her report that she caught you checking her out, a lot."

"I can't tell you the color of the shirt you are wearing if I don't actually pay that close of attention without having to go into my memory to see the image. When I am lost in thought, I look around the room. I don't pay too close of attention to much of anything. I usually fixate on a bit of art or a machine. One of the machines I like to look at was close to her station. It was not close enough to where anyone with a brain would think I was looking at her. She took it as I couldn't keep my eyes off of her and I was playing hard to get, or that I was scared of sex. That's why she wanted to drug me to have sex with me to show me that I was stupid for being afraid of sex. I don't understand why everyone here thinks I'm some blushing virgin or something like that. I've had sex. I had sex before I was eighteen. Sex is nice when one has people they trust to have sex with that won't form attachments while in college."

"I understand that one. So how is she out?"

"She's not gone to trial yet. She made bail and hasn't gone back in. She's bought one of the best lawyers ever, and they keep on pushing back the trial date. I think this has been what they are wanting on. To try and make a two-pronged attack."

"They are kind of stupid considering that this case will close before the start date of her trial for attempted rape and forced drugging. Who is your lawyer in that?"

"I'm using Greg. He's fought criminal cases before he wanted out. He picks up a few when he wants to test the waters again."

"Good. He's damned good at it. Almost as scary as I would have been had, I went through and become a prosecutor as I wanted when I was younger."

"Really?" Doctor Reid looked a little shocked at that. "I didn't know that. So you have a little bit of knowledge on it?"

"Yes, though I traded majors long before I got anything close to a full education on it. I did take a few classes here and there over the years. I've kept up enough to understand some things, especially with my counterpart when I was Head of Legal working those cases. I have a lot to go through, and the court date is in..." Aaron trailed off as he looked at the paperwork. "In two weeks. I'll look at my schedule and set up a meeting with you in a few days so I can go over this."

"Thursday nights I stay late and eat dinner in my office while my entire system backs up. I watch the code to check for errors. If you are done by then, you can come by, and we can discuss it then if you would like. I order Thai. Well, I have a standing order that's dropped off every week. I can add to it. Jackson sometimes joins me, so they are used to that. We can meet like that every week unless something big comes up that we need to discuss. My door is always open to you unless I am in a sensitive meeting. My door is almost always closed if I am in it but try and open it. If it opens, I'm not in a sensitive meeting. So come by any time. I don't mind small breaks when I have time." Spencer was smiling at Aaron as he talked. It was nice, and Spencer was even more beautiful.

Aaron wasn't sure how Spencer could be more beautiful, but he was. Aaron knew that he was screwed, but he didn't play within the company unless that person came to him. He didn't ever want to bring that kind of trouble. He waited for someone to approach him first, but he was sure that no matter what Aaron did, Aaron did not think that he would bite. Spencer was too cherished by Jackson for Aaron to even think about messing that up.

"Then I'll see you Thursday. I'll make sure that I am ready to talk to you then and to understand all of this. Thank you for making yourself available to talk about this. If I have any more questions, I'll email you or call you."

Doctor Reid stood up, and he smiled at Aaron before nodding and leaving. Aaron watched him leave and groaned at the sway of Doctor Reid's ass. He was fucked.


	6. June 2011

# June 2011

"So I have a little bird who told me something," Jackson as he entered Aaron's office. He shut the door behind him and then leaned back against it. It was Friday, and that meant that staff, outside of the ones that had to wear clothes for lab safety, were allowed to dress however they wanted. Most of the staff could wear what they wanted anyway, but it was a fun thing because some of them wore costumes on Fridays to make up for it. It made it enjoyable, but it also made people happy. A few in the higher positions as long as they didn't have meetings with people outside of Grimes Tech were starting to dress in costumes as well. Jackson was dressed as a cowboy, with skin-tight chaps on and a pair of pants under that were just as tight. Aaron was only dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that Jackson had given him years before that he had never worn in public. Jackson had laughed his ass off that morning when he had seen him.

"You have a lot of birds, and they tell you lots of things."

"This one is named Jake and Jake says that you have been ducking him for six months. So I called Thomas, and he said that the last three times he had flown back to meet his publisher you have claimed other things to get out of seeing him. You've allowed Victor into your bed to cuddle but have denied him sex, even when he did want it. So Aaron, what is going on in that head of yours because I realized you've not been in my bed in months either. I assumed that you had Jake and was going through a phase with him. Only to find out that you are not jumping into the bed of anyone. So, Aaron, my love, what are you doing?"

"I just need a break from everything."

"You are a big fat liar, Aaron Hotchner. I've seen you besotted. I've seen you enamored with a man's cock and a woman's vagina enough to where I swore you were going to marry them to keep them. You, however, have never been like this. I've asked your secretary, you know. He keeps track of your comings and goings. You've not gone out unless it's with me. However, you've been visiting someone for lunch and sometimes dinner while at work. He doesn't know who you go and visit, though. I thought about asking him the last time you did and track you that way, but I want to see if you'll tell me first."

Aaron leaned back in his chair, and he wondered if Jackson would actually get into the footage. Aaron looked at Jackson's face and saw that Jackson was enjoying this too much. He wasn't going to look. He was going to stalk Aaron to find out.

"Oh, sorry," Spencer said as he popped his head in the door and stopped when he saw that Aaron was with Jackson. He was blushing and tried to back out. Aaron saw that he was also in costume, but his costume was not that much different than what his typical outfits looked like. Except for the bowtie. Aaron was also pretty sure that he had a Fez sitting in his office and a sonic screwdriver in his pocket.

"No, come in, Spencer. Aaron and I were just talking. I'm sure that you have a meeting or something." Jackson gave Aaron a look that said it all. Jackson had figured out in seconds who the object of his affection was, and he was quite pleased it seemed. Aaron kept his groan internal as Jackson waved for Spencer to take his seat. Jackson all but pushed Spencer down into the chair and grinned at Aaron behind Spencer's back. Aaron wondered how long he could go without answering his phone that night before Jackson hacked it and tracked him to where he was. Aaron would just have to answer him to keep him off of his back. "Now you two don't do anything that I wouldn't do, at least during office hours."

Aaron was about to call out that there was little that Jackson wouldn't do when he saw that Spencer had ducked his head and was blushing. It wasn't that he was ashamed of what Jackson said, he was embarrassed like Jackson had outed him. Aaron glared at Jackson who just winked at him. Aaron had not told Jackson a thing about his little crush on Spencer for this reason. Aaron knew that the two of them were close, and if he thought that they were good together, Jackson would have set it all up at some point. Or locked them in a closet. As much as Aaron would love to be locked in a closet and the sole focus of Spencer's attention, he was more than just a single roll in the hay as the saying went. Spencer was the kind of person that one started a long term relationship with and stayed with them, not fucked them for a while and then patted them on the head and sent them on their merry way.

Or it was the way that Aaron felt about Spencer that made him think that. Aaron wasn't sure, but he sure wasn't starting anything with Spencer and breaking his heart. Aaron had been paying attention in the two years since he had begun to pay attention to Spencer more. Aaron and Spencer had become friends, of sorts. Aaron knew that Spencer counted him a friend, and Aaron considered him a friend. It was just a weird thing that Aaron wasn't sure since he really wanted a relationship with Spencer that he could call him Spencer's friend. Though Aaron had figured out that he would be happy to just stay a friend if Spencer didn't like him that way. Though the blush on his cheeks as he looked up at Aaron as Jackson shut the door said that it might just be that Spencer thought of him as more than a friend.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Spencer said.

"I had this planned with you. Jackson was just dropping by to give me shit about something is all. So you said to ask later about that rain check on that meal at Nuvo. Is it later enough?"

"Umm..." Spencer gave Aaron a bashful smile. "Yes?"

"That sounded like a question and not an answer, Spencer." Aaron grinned, though. He got up from his desk and walked around to sit on the front edge of his desk. Spencer's pupil dilated some, and his breathing deepened.

"Yes, yes, it's later enough."

"Good. I'll pick you up from your apartment at eight?" Aaron knew Spencer schedule well enough to know that even if he got lost in things down in his department, he would still be able to go and get ready. Though he could stay in the suit, he was in as well. Unless one knew Doctor Who, one would not understand where the outfit was from. They wouldn't bat an eye at him.

"Pick me up...like-" Spencer stopped suddenly and swallowed. He was looking at Aaron like he was trying to figure him out.

"Like a date, yes."

"Oh, then I need to get downstairs to get some work done." Spencer shot up out of the seat and nearly tumbled Aaron backward on his desk he moved so fast it scared Aaron. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you are that excited that it's a date."

"You need my address."

"Spencer, I dropped you off there after that one day in court remember? When Doctor Saunders attacked you? You were not cleared to drive for a few days because of the concussion. I drove you home, but Jackson's service took you to and from work for the next week until you were cleared."

"Oh, that's right. I did forget about that. Why would you remember that?" Spencer looked a little confused.

"Because I like to remember things about people I am interested in."

Aaron watched as Spencer left, the look on his face a little shell shocked. Aaron knew that it would only be minutes if not seconds after Spencer had shut the door that Jackson would call him. It was twenty-seven seconds.

"Butt out," Aaron said after making sure that the call was connected.

"Ah, but you see, I can't. I'm too invested in both of your lives. So tell me this, Aaron. Where are you taking him?"

"The last time that we talked he said he wanted to go to Nuvo. So that's where I am going to take him."

"How many dates have you asked him on?"

"Technically this is my second. I asked him to go to Nuvo with me two weeks ago, but he was bogged in some stuff and didn't want to go. I think he thought it was just a friends thing. Tonight, he knows we are going on a date."

"At least you know how to treat him right," Jackson said.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you, Aaron. You've been focused on your job just like me for years but you've been changing over the last two and ready to settle, at least somewhat. So I think that Spencer would be good for you, and you good for him."

"Thanks."

"Just don't hurt him."

"I don't plan on hurting him," Aaron said, and he meant it. He didn't want to hurt him. The talking they had done over the past two years told Aaron that they could be really good with each other. No matter how well Spencer did, he needed someone dependable in his life after everything that had happened to him with his parents. He needed a good solid man who knew what he wanted. Aaron knew what he wanted, and he had been yearning for it for months. He needed something in his life, and if Spencer wasn't it, Aaron would be very shocked.

"Good. I'll call Jake and give him a heads up. We don't need him being his usual cad self in front of your date."

"I'll call him."

"I think it's better coming from me. I can break it to him easier than you. While you have finesse in court, you sometimes still have brute force when it comes to your friends."

"Fine, you call him." Aaron knew that he wasn't going to win with that.

"Also, use the car service today."

"Why? I don't need to use the ride to get to know him. I don't need to focus just on him."

"Well, I thought you might like to have a little time to get know him better in a different way on the way home."

"Jackson," Aaron said, and his tone was a warning.

"Look, he's had dates, he's had relationships. He's pretty secure in most of those things, but when it comes to affection, he's still a little gun shy."

"I don't think you should be telling me about this."

"Well, he won't."

"And that's his right. Goodbye." Aaron hung and ignored it when Jackson called back three times in a row, leaving messages with each one. Aaron would listen to them much later. Maybe even tomorrow morning.

Spencer opened the door to his apartment and gave Aaron a smile.

"I need a few minutes. I was aiming to be on time, but it seems that Curiosity has decided to play keep away with my shoe."

Aaron looked down to see that Spencer was indeed only wearing a single dress shoe. Aaron stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He looked up to see a huge black cat sitting on the half wall that made a break between the door and the rest of the apartment.

"Curiosity?" Aaron asked as he pointed.

"No, that's Midnight. Her twin sister is Curiosity."

"What breed are they?" Aaron asked. He was pretty sure that he had never seen a house cat that was that large.

"Maine Coon. They are actually large for their breed in skeletal size. They are both full grown, at least I think. They have not grown longer in spine size or leg height in six months."

Midnight yawned, and Aaron was pretty sure that she could bite his arm off with enough time and force. He vowed to not piss her or her sister off. Midnight looked at Aaron like she didn't like him. Aaron could kind of understand that. From what little Aaron had allowed Jackson to tell him and what Aaron had learned from the two years of building a friendship with Spencer, Spencer did not bring dates home.

Aaron stepped up to Midnight though and held out his hand. He had been around enough animals to know to let them scent you before petting. Midnight sniffed and butted into his hand. Aaron got a single pet on her head before she jumped down and took off toward the back of the apartment.

"That's better than most." Spencer was smiling as he said it. He looked down at his foot. "Well, I need to go hunting. At least it's Curiosity hiding the shoe and not Midnight."

"Why?" Aaron asked.

"Curiosity is stark white. Not that easy to hide, even if she thinks that she can, and I can't see her when I can."

Aaron started to look around the living room as Spencer went to the back of the apartment. It was a small place considering how much Aaron knew he made. It was hard not to when the salaries of the staff were all run through him and his staff. The heads of departments, Aaron handled on his own.

There was a sound that had Aaron getting up off of his knees to see a huge white cat running with a shoe in its mouth. It ran right for the couch Aaron had been looking under and seemed to just dive under it. Aaron reached underneath and grabbed the shoe and pulled it out, the cat still attached. Aaron scooped his other arm under Curiosity so that he didn't hurt her. He looked up to see that Spencer was standing and just staring. Aaron then heard the purring.

"Curiosity hates everyone. She hates Jackson, she hates all the other staff I've brought home. She specifically hates the dates I have had to pick me up. You think that she didn't have a choice, but she would have normally turned around and run back where she came upon seeing you much less let you hold her and her purr."

"I guess she likes the look of me," Aaron said.

Spencer gave Aaron a little glare at that said that he was not impressed with Aaron's answer. Aaron couldn't help stepping forward. He handed Spencer his shoe and allowed him to bend down to put it on. Aaron gave a little attention to Curiosity before letting her roll in his arms and jump down to the floor. When Spencer stood up, Aaron reached up and cupped the sides of his face. He gave Spencer plenty of time to pull away and stop the kiss, but Spencer didn't. Aaron just brushed his lips over Spencer's before he lingered there a little bit.

Aaron thought about Jackson's offer on the care service and kind of hated himself for not taking him up on it. Aaron had brought the AMH though. He still really loved his car. Spencer kept his lips pressed firmly together, which made Aaron chuckle.

"I don't get to taste you?" Aaron asked he was surprised at how rough his voice sounded.

"Not until after the date," Spencer said. He pressed a kiss to Aaron's cheek. "Something to look forward to."

"The date's not enough for me to look forward to? I've been dying to take you out for weeks."

"I gathered that. If we want to make the reservations, we need to leave now."

"It doesn't matter when we get there, Spencer. My table is not a reservation. It's mine all the time."

"Really?" Spencer took a step back to look at Aaron's face. Aaron let one of his hands drop but kept the other on Spencer's cheek.

Aaron wondered if Spencer paid any attention to gossip. Or anything at all that wasn't his hobbies.

"Yes, the restaurant is Jake's."

"Oh, Jake, who runs our cafeteria?" Spencer looked excited about that. "I really like it when he does nonstandard Sushi day. His salad sushi is really good."

Aaron laughed a little because Jake had talked to him about the scientist that loved his sushi day and would eat more than anyone else he had ever seen. Aaron hadn't thought about ever asking Jake the person's name only it seemed that it was Spencer.

"Yes, that same Jake."

"I keep meaning to go to one of his places, but most of them seem like date places, not where one goes when one is alone." Spencer shrugged. He walked over to the table that was by the door and grabbed a lint roller. He started to take it to his person. Aaron looked down to see he was covered in white hair. Which stood out on his charcoal grey suit. Spencer was quick efficient on removing the hair from himself, which Aaron understood that it was probably a several time a day thing. Aaron had never noticed a hair on him at any point in time.

Spencer stepped up to Aaron and handed over the lint roller before he grabbed a bag that was right beside Aaron. Aaron frowned. He wasn't sure that it was the dress code for the restaurant that they were going to, but Spencer just pulled his wallet out of it before hanging it back up. Aaron was taking the roller to his lower body, so he had to look away from Spencer.

When Aaron was done, he stood up and looked at Spencer, who was putting a phone into his dress shirt pocket. Aaron handed the roller back to him. "Thanks."

"Welcome. I have yet to invent a device that works better than the commercially available lint roller, so I have to use it. That's not to say I haven't given good insensitive to those I work with to try. I have a cleaning lady that comes in daily and sweeps, and she brushes out the cats before she does. I have a nightly ritual with them in the bathroom where I do it as well. They really enjoy it, and I like the cuddle time."

"I thought they didn't like anyone."

"She is female, you are male. Though she doesn't like any of my co-workers at all. Midnight is indifferent, but she will at least come and get treats from them. Curiosity hides in the bedroom until they leave. I don't force her to socialize with anyone. I don't think that anyone, human or animal should consent to be touched or talk to someone they don't want to talk to, outside of a working environment but if the not wanting to talk is because the other person is a waste of space then something needs done but not ignoring them."

"I agree on that though there are some people that just have horrible personalities without them being something that needs correcting because they are assholes that could hurt someone." Aaron opened the door to exit and walked out. He had seen the alarm, so he knew that Spencer would need to be the last to leave. Aaron shut the door behind him.

Spencer came out a few seconds later with the alarm not making a sound. Aaron frowned at that.

"I have it silent as the sound hurts their ears. It's only silent when someone is leaving or entering. If the code is not put in within ten seconds of the door opening, then it starts to make noise. It makes nothing when I leave, or I am setting it except for a short beep to say it's set after the time to get out. It also alerts my phone that it's set as well. Newest tech."

"Jackson and I have don't have an alarm like that. We have standard that's only set when staff is not in the house, which is rare. That's nice, though."

"Yes, we also have ones that flicker the lights in the house for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. It's Morse code to let them know it's going off. I have one part of my department that is working on a whole line of things for those who are deaf, blind, mute, hard of hearing."

"You enjoy working for Grimes Tech," Aaron said.

"Yes, a great deal. Shall we?" Spencer waved toward the elevator. Aaron nodded and followed behind Spencer. They were silent as they made their way down to the ground.

Aaron watched Spencer as he eyed the view that was visible through the glass at the back of the elevator. The sun was still high in the sky, so it was pretty. Aaron enjoyed watching his face as he took in the city around them. Spencer looked at everything around him with wonder in his eyes. It was one of the first things that drew Aaron to him outside of his looks. That first time that Spencer had taken him around his department, Aaron had listened to his words but spent more time looking at Spencer's face.

"How long have you known Jake?" Spencer asked.

"College. I met him at Stanford during a party, and we kept in touch."

"I've read articles on him about being one of the hottest chefs for nearly ten years. He doesn't allow himself to grow stagnant and changes his menus and his restaurants as the times change. I always mean to call and get a reservation, talk one of my friends into going with me, but I never remember to, I get busy at work and forget." Spencer waited for Aaron to get off and walked side by side with him out of the building. Spencer turned in the direction that Aaron had parked, taking a guest spot so that he wasn't parked on the street. Aaron stepped forward quickly to open Spencer's door for him. He smiled, and Spencer gave him a smile back, pressing a kiss to Aaron's cheek as he slipped into the passenger seat of the car. Aaron shut the door and walked quickly around to get into the driver's seat.

The drive was not nearly as long as Aaron wanted it to be. He and Spencer talked about books, which was a topic they always went to when they were talking. Aaron enjoyed it with Spencer because even though a lot of his life was technology angled, he still loved books, real books with pages and a smell that still calmed Aaron down some when he was freaked out. The house that he and Jackson lived in had a vast library. It was a collection of the books that Aaron had read over the years as well as his books on law. The room was a refuge to Aaron from the busy world that he lived in. Aaron couldn't wait to show it to Spencer.

The valet was there to take the car from Aaron, it was the one that Aaron liked while the other valets were standing back. Aaron figured that Joshua hadn't even entertained letting any of the others think about walking over and taking the car from him. Aaron would be an ass and wait for Joshua to come if he took another car in front of him. He had done it before. Joshua was the only one that Aaron trusted his car with.

Aaron handed over the keys and walked over to the passenger side of the car, Spencer had his door open, and Aaron held out his hand to help pull Spencer out. Spencer blushed, and it made Aaron want another kiss, even if he couldn't taste Spencer while doing it. Aaron reached out had tipped Spencer's face up to him, pressing a knuckle under his chin and brushed his lips over Spencer's.

"Thank you for agreeing to go out with me tonight, Spencer. I've been looking forward to this for longer than you think." Aaron brushed his lips over Spencer's again before he stepped back and tucked Spencer into his side for them to walk into the restaurant side by side. Aaron watched Spencer out of the corner of his eyes. Spencer was looking at the decor of the restaurant with a close eye, just like he did when he was working and looking at a device or a strip of code. Aaron saw a lot of Jackson in Spencer but only at the way that Spencer looked at the world. Aaron could tell that he was used to places like this but that he didn't feel entirely comfortable in them. Jackson had taken to the high life as he called it with ease. Aaron had grown up with this kind of stuff, but he had never thoroughly enjoyed it until he had met Jackson.

Jackson didn't demand that Aaron play the display monkey, Jackson was more than willing to step up and be that person. He allowed Aaron to stay in the shadows as much as possible. It was nice.

"Mister Hotchner, your table is ready, please follow me," the hostess said.

Aaron did not recognize her at all, which meant that she was new, which also meant that for her to know him on sight, Jake had made sure that she knew him. Aaron really hoped that Jake was on his best behavior. Aaron pulled out Spencer's chair, and he settled down into it before Aaron took his own.

"You really are a typical high born southern gentleman, aren't you?" Spencer asked as he laid his napkin over his lap. He looked up at Aaron with a grin on his lips. There was no derision like many who figured out what kind of life Aaron lived before coming to California.

"I am. Jackson always finds it quite funny when I go on a date, and my date is shocked. I've had a few women who balk at it, but when they find out I do it for the men as well as a show my affection, they calm down. Usually. If they don't, they don't get a second date." Aaron was fudging on that a little and hoped that Spencer didn't call him on it. He didn't want to dwell on it.

"Well, I'm used to Jackson, who I think got it from you." Spencer picked up the menu, and his eyes darted over it, but he didn't set it down. His eyes didn't move on the page from the top corner, but it was a good show that he was looking at the menu.

"You don't have to act, you know," Aaron said as he reached over and picked up the menu from Spencer. He set it down on the side of the table and smiled at him. "You don't ever have to hide any aspect of your intelligence or your reading ability from me."

Spencer looked a little speechless, so Aaron let him have his silence. A bottle of wine was brought to the table by the sommelier, and he allowed Aaron a sample before Aaron nodded his head in agreeance. Two glasses were poured as a waitress set down a bucket of ice for the bottle to go into. Spencer reached out and took a sip of the wine and made a happy noise before he set the glass back down.

"So, what do you like to get here?" Spencer asked.

"I actually usually don't order. Even if I do, Jake makes me something else. Is there anything on the appetizer menu that you want to try?" Aaron picked up the card that had the daily appetizers, and he handed it over. Spencer's eyes looked it over before he smiled.

"All of it."

"Well that's good because that's usually what Jake does is makes a platter of small portions of all of it. It's not on the menu per se, but he will do it for anyone that asks."

"Aaron," Jake said as he stepped up to the table. He held out his hand to shake, and Aaron shook it, a little off-kilter as Jake didn't pull Aaron up and into a hug like he usually did. "Please introduce me to your-" Jake turned and stopped talking before he looked back at Aaron with a quirked eyebrow. "Doctor Reid. I'm shocked to see you on a date with Aaron here. How did he woo you? Promises of my food?"

"No just a promise of a good time and delicious food, your name wasn't brought up until after I had agreed to the date."

Jake laughed and turned to shake Spencer's hand.

"If you tire of this old man look me up, Doctor Reid. I can give you a sexual experience just from my cooking. Are you okay with me just fixing you something like I do with Aaron?""

The blush crept up Spencer's face even more as he nodded his head and Jake laughed a little before he walked away.

"He's a cad," Aaron said.

"I'm well aware. He flirts like some people breathe when he's at the restaurant on campus. I don't take it as more than he likes how I look and is very arrogant. Not too arrogant, but just enough." Spencer reached out and took a sip of the water that was in a wine glass to match the wine. He smiled at Aaron as he did. Aaron picked up his water and toasted Spencer with it.

Spencer's eyes looked around the table, and he frowned a little before he stood up. Aaron was about to stand as well, but when Spencer picked up his chair and set it closer to Aaron and shifted his things over, Aaron stayed down and helped him. They were used to eating meals side by side, so it was understandable that Spencer didn't like sitting across from him.

"That's much better," Spencer said.

The waitress came over with their appetizers and frowned a little but said nothing. She set the tray between them. Aaron waved off the little plates that she was about to set down. They would not need them. Aaron reached out and picked up one of the little tarts and held it out to Spencer. Spencer frowned a little but opened his mouth wide to allow Aaron to slip the tart inside. Aaron hadn't even looked to see what was on offer for the day. Aaron picked up a tart, but Spencer had one right there for him to eat.

Aaron laughed but opened his mouth. After that, Aaron fed himself while Spencer ate his own food. Spencer's hand wandered over to Aaron's knee at one point and didn't leave. The conversation flowed back and forth, barely stopping as their empty plates were taken and replaced with the next course of the meal. It seemed that Jake was trying his hardest to make this a good date for Aaron. Aaron would have to thank him in private and thank him for not being his usual self when it came to Aaron.

"Ready?" Aaron asked as he folded his napkin and laid it beside his empty dessert dish. The one bottle of wine between them and the single glass each of dessert wine was not enough to cloud either of their heads, especially with the heavy meal that was sitting on Aaron's stomach.

"I'm afraid if we stay the food will just keep on coming out," Spencer said with a smile on his face. He laid his napkin down beside the plate and looked around the table.

"Did you lose something?" Aaron asked. He started to look around, as well.

"The bill?"

"Jackson and I have a tab here. We settle up much later. The only thing I do is leave a generous tip for the waitstaff." Aaron pulled out his wallet and laid down two hundred dollar bills.

"Oh, wow."

"One is for the front of the house and the second is for the people who bus the tables. It's split between who is working. Jake would have let me know if he had more than standard staff. It's about ten for each waitstaff, as you saw we had a rotating set. They grab what's up as they have time between their tables. I don't mind waiting for anything and hate to take one waitress or waiter away from another table. The sommelier takes a little from the back of house staff one and then the rest is the for the dish and bus people."

"Oh, that's kind of nice."

"Yeah, the staff here are great and more than not pool tips. They do well at managing themselves alone, but that's because Jake runs a tight but fun ship."

"Sounds like it's a good place to work." Spencer allowed Aaron to escort him out of the restaurant with a hand on his lower back. Aaron smiled at the staff as they passed.

"He expects perfection but isn't a hardass outside of that. He pays fair wages for all of this staff, including the tipped staff. They get paid a living wage. His name and food fill this place, but he agrees he would be nowhere without good staff. He's got one of the lowest turnover rates for restaurants in the area."

"That's good. I didn't figure that Jackson would stay friends with him or have a restaurant of his on the campus if he was a slave driver."

"Oh, Jake works his staff hard but doesn't expect anything more than what they can give or get done in a reasonable amount of time. Nor does he expect more from them than he gives himself."

The night air was cool even for June, and it helped Aaron's head clear a little. The AMH was waiting for them, and Aaron slipped Joshua a tip as well. The young man beamed at him and let Aaron open Spencer's door and his own after Spencer was seated.

"So, this is the car that the lady you dated for a little while made?" Spencer asked as he touched the still impeccable dashboard in front of him.

"Yes."

"Jackson bitched for weeks on end about not even being able to sweet talk her out of the car she had been about to unveil and then to find out that she made it for you. He was quite put out. He spent an afternoon disrupting my work to pout."

Aaron laughed because he could see Jackson doing that.

"It still runs like a dream, but then I make sure it's taken care of."

Aaron heard his phone chime that he had a text from Jackson. It was the ringtone that Jackson always set Aaron's phone to for him, no matter if Aaron changed it or not. Aaron ignored it and instead pulled out onto the street.

"The food was delicious. I'll have to make a plan to come back to try other things. I saw that he has a chicken fried lobster on the menu. Mom loves that so when I go and visit, I pick it up for her from Binion's and take it to her. She always enjoys it."

"I'm glad that you have a relationship with her still." Aaron was happy to hear that. He had been afraid for a while after meeting and getting the contract squared with him that he would just forget about her after getting her help. He had told himself though that someone who fought that much for her wouldn't do that.

"It was rough for a while. She resented me putting her into Bennington, but she got over as her life settled down and she was happier and steadier more. It also helped that I was able to do so much in school without worrying about her. I talked to Jackson one time when I was on break but in LA here instead of going to see her. I guess after that he made sure that everything that I did with my life was sent to her. I guess my teachers compiled a list and then he had the people who oversaw my work mail out progress reports. The less stress of not having to worry about her allowed me to really immerse myself in school. She calmed down a lot after that, and I was able to stop worrying about her hating me."

"She could never hate you for long. She loves you, and that means she forgives." Aaron was glad that things had got better for Spencer after all of that.

"It helped that Jackson would ask her opinion on everything. Like when one summer, I went to the New York office with my mentor that I worked with. He got her permission. That made mom settle down a lot more. She loves the new tablet that I had developed for her. She gives lectures at Bennington to some of the more aware patients. It's like a book club. She uses the tablet to make her notes on it."

"The e-ink ones that you use for your own notes and stuff?" Aaron asked.

"Yes."

Aaron pulled into the guest parking area of Spencer's lot for the apartment, and he put the car into park but didn't make a move to get out. He looked at Spencer who unfastened his seat belt.

"Are you going to walk me up?" Spencer asked.

"I didn't want to presume." Aaron unhooked his belt and got out. He walked around to see that Spencer hadn't got out but was waiting on Aaron. It made Aaron's blood pump a little that Spencer liked him doing the small things like that. He smiled as he opened the door. Spencer waited for the hand before he pushed himself to a standing position. Aaron was about to turn to allow Spencer to exit the opening of the door when he felt a hand on his arm. Spencer stepped up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, and I don't feel like I'm ready to have you leave yet. Coffee?"

"Sure." Aaron knew that Spencer drank coffee like it was air, and he had seen the man drink two cups and take a nap if something happened that had him staying overnight to cover something. Aaron wasn't sure there was an amount of caffeine that could keep Spencer awake if he was tired. Aaron laid his hand on Spencer's lower back again and held it there as they made their way to the elevator. Aaron pressed the button for Spencer's floor before the doors shut.

Spencer leaned into the corner of the elevator and crooked a finger at Aaron. Aaron willingly walked over and boxed Spencer in there. "Do you want that taste now?"

"So, the date is over?"

"Well, the first part of it is," Spencer said, and he draped his arms over Aaron's shoulders and tugged him in that last little bit. Aaron ducked his head and pressed his lips to Spencer's for a few seconds before he felt them part. Aaron hesitated just a few seconds to hear Spencer make a needy little noise before he parted his own lips and dipped his tongue inside. Aaron wrapped an arm around Spencer's back to hold him close and made sure that Spencer would regret if he ended the kiss early or even just stopped after just that single kiss.

The ding sounded, and it took Aaron's brain a few seconds to remember that it meant they needed to leave the elevator. Aaron pulled back reluctantly, Spencer making a needy little moan that made Aaron regret his choices. He did not need to be caught up in a expose on sex in an elevator. Jackson did enough crazy stuff to keep his name in the gossip columns that they didn't need the CFO there as well.

"Are you okay with coffee coming in the morning?" Spencer asked as he dove in for another kiss as his groin bumped into Aaron's as Aaron started to walk them toward Spencer's door.

"I'm okay with no coffee in the morning," Aaron said. He groaned as one of Spencer's arms slipped off of his shoulders and reached down to cup his cock. Aaron groaned and pushed Spencer into his door. There was no one in the hallway, and hopefully, most were already down for the night or not coming home until much later. Aaron heard the jingle of keys and then the sound of the door unlocking. Aaron grabbed the doorjamb with one hand to make sure that they didn't tumble into the room apartment. He disengaged from Spencer as Spencer pushed at him. Aaron followed behind him into the apartment and closed and locked the door while Spencer took care of disarming the alarm and then arming it again. That told Aaron that he was not leaving until morning.

Aaron debated for a few seconds if he wanted this. He had not meant to move this fast with Spencer. He wanted to extend it. To make sure that Spencer knew that Aaron wanted more than sex from him, but Spencer's hand on his knee and Spencer's face as he ate had made Aaron more than ready for a delightful end to the night. Aaron kind of wanted to know what Spencer was like first thing in the morning. He hoped that Spencer was one of the ones that woke up and didn't mind staying in a bed for a lie in, and possibly another round of sex. Aaron had nowhere else to be.


	7. Chapter 7

# December 2011

The air was crisp, even for December in LA. Aaron was looking around a little strip of stores that fit Spencer's weird style of everything in his life. Aaron looked into a shop that held some pretty interesting ties, so he slipped into the shop to get at least two for Spencer. Aaron had finished up the rest of his Christmas shopping long before Thanksgiving, but he had been stalled on what to get for Spencer. Spencer was not more important than Jackson, Thomas, Jake, or Victor, but there was a difference in the relationship that had Aaron feeling a little out of place on getting him something. Nothing had screamed out Spencer at him. Aaron was near the point of just begging Jackson for help.

Leaving the shop, Aaron sighed as he only found two ties that he thought Spencer would like but also make Jackson keep looking at him in shock during meetings. It was a fun game that Spencer played on Jackson, adding weird things to his clothes to make Jackson's focus be split during ordinary meetings. Aaron was pretty sure that it was the point that Aaron had fallen head over heels in love with Spencer, the morning Spencer had admitted it after Aaron had spotted the shirt that he was going to wear the next day. Aaron had never thought himself lonely or unhappy in his life before. He could have lived like he was and been happy, but having Spencer in his life added something extra that just made life better.

On his trip through in his car, Aaron had spotted what looked like a bistro and had thought it looked good enough to eat at. He looked around to spot the bright pink store that was close to it and found that store. He started in that direction, looking at a few other shops he wanted to slip into. Aaron stopped though about three doors down from the pink shop at a tea store. Spencer had a collection of various teas in his apartment. Aaron enjoyed finding ones that he liked. Aaron recognized the label on a tin of tea in the shop window, so he decided to go inside and see what else was worth trying.

Aaron was starving when he was done in that shop, several hundred dollars lighter of wallet as well starved as he had spent an hour in there smelling teas and trying to find ones that he had never tried and didn't remembered seeing in Spencer's tea cabinet. Aaron walked down the street and turned to find the bistro and stopped in his tracks. Spencer was sitting at a table with a man. Aaron knew that Spencer had a lot of friends, but he had never met or seen this one before. The man said something and Spencer leaned over, laying a hand on the man's arm and got a lot closer than he generally with anyone. Aaron felt a flare of jealousy. He started toward where Spencer was and stopped when he knew he needed to calm down. Aaron watched them as Spencer stood up and walked inside the bistro. Aaron shoved down his anger and walked over to the man who was now alone at the table.

"Hello handsome," Aaron said as he took a seat beside the man. He was a very handsome man, and Aaron wouldn't have said no to taking him to bed, months ago.

"Hello. I'm sorry, but I'm just getting to the point where I think that I might be getting serious with someone else or I would take you up on your flirting."

"She's a very lucky woman," Aaron said as he forced a soft smile on his face.

"He and no I'm the lucky one. He's pretty great, and we've only been on a few dates."

"Well, I'll go back to my shopping, and you enjoy yourself." Aaron felt gutted as he stood up. He barely remembered his trip to his car, stuffing the bags into the trunk before he got into it and started to drive off. He couldn't get past the fact that Spencer was cheating on him. Aaron would never have thought that of him. Aaron also wondered what he wasn't giving Spencer that Spencer obviously needed and believed that man could give him.

Aaron pulled into the garage and left everything in the trunk. He'd have the staff come and get things from the trunk and do with them what they wanted. They could keep the things for themselves or give them to someone else. He didn't care. Aaron had a single purpose in mind, and the best place to have that happen was his study. He had a fully stocked drink cart there, and it was enough to get him drunk several times over.

"Aaron?" Jackson called out as Aaron passed by his office on the second floor. There were offices scattered across the house as neither of them really cared where they worked. Aaron ignored Jackson though and locked himself into his study. That would probably buy him an hour, plenty of time for him to get drunk.

Aaron had never felt like he wasn't enough for someone. It made him feel hollow. He grabbed his bottle of scotch, that was his second favorite and swallowed three good mouthfuls. He heard the knock on his door and hoped that Jackson just went away if he didn't answer. He sighed and laid his head back to look up at the ceiling.

"Open this door, Aaron Hotchner or I will have Margo remove it by the hinges."

Aaron knew it was an idle threat. Margo had keys to every single room in the house. It would take bu seconds for her to let Jackson in, but Aaron was going to make Jackson invade like that. Aaron ignored Jackson's following words and just took a few more drinks.

"Hotch," Margo called out.

Aaron looked at the time. He wasn't even sure that he could read it, so he had no clue how much time had passed since Jackson had gone silent and Margo showing up. The door opened a few seconds later, and then there was Jackson entering, alone, and shutting the door.

"What the hell is wrong?" Jackson demanded.

"Spencer was out on a date today," Aaron said. The alcohol had broken any filter Aaron would have on mincing words.

"I see, and this requires you to drink?" Jackson asked.

Aaron glared at him, and the look on Jackson's face softened. He walked over and took the bottle from Aaron's fingers. He tried to tighten them a little, but still, the bottle slipped from between his fingers easily. Aaron heard the sound of the stopper being put back in and then Jackson's feet on the hardwood floor as he walked back over. Jackson crawled into Aaron's lap, a mockery of how Spencer liked to sit in Aaron's lap as they made out. Aaron almost shoved Jackson back, but the look of worry on Jackson's face stopped him.

"I didn't realize you were that serious," Jackson said.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Aaron demanded.

"Well, you took him on that one single date at Jake's and really haven't gone out on a date with him since. You've gone to his place for food and what I assume was sex. He's never been here, not to see you, not to spend the night. You didn't invite him over for the Thanksgiving dinner that we do here with all of our friends. I thought when you were starting to shed all of us as lovers that you were going to seriously date him, but then you've been treating him like you did Thomas and Jake back when things were still kind of new with them. I just assumed you were tired of having a lot of lovers and just wanted one that you were kind of exclusive to but wasn't that serious with."

"Did you tell him this?"

"No, other than me telling him that I was happy he was dating at all back when he went on that first date with you, he's not brought you up, and I haven't asked. That's probably also why he hasn't brought up his dating this other guy. He doesn't actually like to talk about personal things. He just goes about his life. Did you talk to him?"

"No. I didn't. I flirted with his date the man told me he was flattered, but he was getting serious with someone else. I left then. I was shopping for Spencer's Christmas present."

"It's two weeks to Christmas, you are usually done before Thanksgiving."

"Well, he's proven to be hard to shop for. Nothing was good enough or said what I wanted it to say."

"Holy shit, you are in love," Jackson said. He cupped Aaron's face and forced him to look up at him. "Fuck me."

"What?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron, I...Spencer is probably going to hate me, but he's had a crush on you since that day you went to Caltech and worked on the contract. He never approached you while working here, but he has always been very watchful when you are around. He denies it, but I think he fell in love with you years ago. He also probably didn't think that you would ever love him back, so he got a little while with you and is trying to move on. He's not good at not having what he wants. You were his white whale, though. You were something that he needed to get out of his system before he could move on to anyone else."

"Why the hell didn't you tell me this?" Aaron thrust up his arms to get Jackson's off of him. Jackson slipped off of his lap at the same time. Aaron stood up, swaying as he did. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast very early that morning, and he could tell, given how fast he was feeling like he did. He fell backward onto the chair and looked at Jackson.

"It wasn't mine to tell. You see a confident man who is good at his job, but what I see when I look at him is a man who has had every single person in his life walk away from him. I'm the only one who hasn't left him and still sometimes when he looks at me when we do catch a meal out together is that he's afraid I'm going to walk away at some point. His father walked out, his mother was gone, not of her own choice, but it happened. He's too smart of his own good and talks around therapists like they are school children. It's why I meet with him to eat. I understand him better than most Aaron. He was fucking happy for about two months after you took him on that date. I thought that he was a little off the past four months because of staffing issues that his department has been having. I would have shoved the two of you in a closet at work and not let you out if I had known this was what the cause of his issues was."

Aaron was a little too drunk to take it all in, and he knew that. He just kept going around how Jackson was pretty sure that Spencer loved him. They were both a little idiotic, Aaron knew that the fault wasn't his alone. Spencer could have stepped up and said something, that he wanted more but then again, Aaron knew that Spencer never would. Aaron had learned that when Spencer was a teenager. Spencer had already learned then to take what he was given and not ask for more because asking meant that he could be told no or what he already had could be taken away. He had only asked for more when it came to his mother because it wasn't for him. It had all been for his mother.

"Jackson? Margo said you were in here." Spencer was standing there in the same outfit that he had been in. He glanced at Aaron, giving a very worried look before he looked at Jackson, who was standing in front of Aaron. "You said something urgent had come up. Do I need to head into the office?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. A floor up, there is a room with a grey door. Why don't you go up there and wait for me?"

"Sure." Spencer looked at Aaron again, and Aaron could finally see what Jackson was talking about. Aaron hadn't said anything to him, so he wasn't going to say anything to Aaron. Never venture forth, and you are never told no. The words that Jackson had said rang in Aaron's mind clear as a bell. Aaron knew that the ball was in his court as it were. He would have to be the one to put himself out there.

"So, what are you going to do, Aaron?" Jackson asked.

"Have a very long overdue talk with Spencer, but first, I think I need to eat something and get a good bit of water into me."

"There is a plate of lunch food in the kitchen for you. As well as a few bottles of water. Margo made sure it was all ready for you."

Aaron pushed himself up and out o the chair while Jackson got close enough to make sure that he didn't fall on his face. He would get food in himself and then head up to the room Spencer was waiting on him in. Aaron didn't rush through eating, he wanted to make sure that he was level headed before he talked to Spencer.

It felt like hours later that Aaron was ready to go up and talk to Spencer, but it wasn't even a single hour. Aaron found the door to the room open, and he made sure to make noise as he stepped inside.

"Thank you for not telling me at work," Spencer said as Aaron shut the door to the room behind him. Spencer was standing at the window in Aaron's personal kind of antechamber. His bedroom had another door directly off the hallway, but the few people Aaron brought back here for sex were entertained here. There was a low couch as well as chairs and a smaller drink cart that was kept stocked. "I'll be fine, and you don't need to say anything. I figured that it would come to an end. I can't really compare with Aaron's other lovers."

Aaron didn't say anything, but he did make up a drink for Spencer, what he liked. The brandy that Aaron made sure was in the house even though he had never invited Spencer back here. Aaron tapped the drink onto Spencer's shoulder, and the genius took it without even looking.

"I'm kind of glad you never did warn me off, Jax. I had a few others, and now I'm going to have to face their 'I Told You So' faces." Spencer sipped at his drink. "I don't think I could take that from you. I had to do this, no matter what happened in the end. To say I tried with the man I love. I can't compare with a famous author, a world-class chef, a famous artist, or the world's best businessman. I'm just Spencer Reid."

Spencer drained his glass of brandy and turned around to look at Aaron. The look on his face really cemented to Aaron that Spencer was not expecting him in any way, shape, or form. He thought it was Jackson. Aaron had seen Spencer blushing a lot before. He loved the way it spread on Spencer's chest when he was aroused. This was a different kind of blush and Aaron didn't like it. He was ashamed. Spencer felt ashamed because of what he had said. Aaron hadn't realized that Spencer knew about the others. Jackson had said that Spencer watched him, but he hadn't realized that what he thought was a little secret that he kept from Spencer was actually known to him. Aaron had brought up that he lovers in the past but no romantic relationships. Aaron had thought that it showed Spencer that he wanted that with him. Instead, it seemed to have told Spencer that Aaron wanted nothing but sex from him. That whole not talking thing was really biting Aaron in the ass.

"I'm sorry. I'll go." Spencer tried to move past Aaron as quick as he could, but Aaron was mostly sober at the moment, and he caught Spencer's hand quickly. "Please, just let me leave." Spencer sounded close to tears.

"Come here, please," Aaron said as he tugged Spencer in close. Spencer resisted for a few seconds before he allowed Aaron to pull him into his arms. Spencer was stiff as Aaron wrapped both of his arms around him to give him a hug. Aaron pressed his cheek to Spencer's. "I was an idiot."

"You don't have to do this. I can leave, and we can just fade away again. Please don't make this a big deal."

"I don't want you to leave, Spencer. I don't want you dating anyone but me. I didn't make that plain that this was what this was. I stupidly assumed that you knew nothing of my past sexual relationships in that way, and I assumed you knew that I had been getting rid of them because I wanted a serious relationship with you. I've not wanted one for a long time. I've not met anyone that I even wanted to try with." Aaron pulled back enough to where he could move his face to look in Spencer's eyes. He could see the tears there as well as a few that had fallen down his face. "I love you. I love you so much I'm stupid with it. I want to try this again. Properly it seems as I did fall back on old habits with you. I want to take you on a proper date tonight. I'm sure we can find someplace that you'll like."

"You are serious?" Spencer asked, and he looked a little wary.

"Yes, I'm serious, no less than I was before, but now you know. I want to talk more before we go out. First, I started this as a relationship that I wanted to be in for the rest of my life. You make me smile when we talk, you make me laugh, you make me feel better about myself when I was already feeling pretty damned good about myself. I could see myself being happy for the rest of my life with you, Spencer."

Spencer let out a small sob before he flung his arms over Aaron's shoulders and put all of his weight on Aaron. Aaron guided them back to a couch before he collapsed under their combined weights. Aaron wrapped his arms around Spencer after he helped his lover settle onto his lap a little better. Spencer clung to him tightly, but Aaron wasn't sure if he was crying or not.

The door opening had Aaron looking up, and it was just Jackson checking on them. Aaron held up a thumb to show that everything was okay without disturbing Spencer. Jackson nodded his head and shut the door. Aaron moved them a little to where he could rub his cheek against Spencer's. Aaron gave that a few minutes before he pulled back to look Spencer in the face. There was evidence of a few tears but not a lot of them on Spencer's face. Aaron still rubbed the ones gathered on his lower eyelashes.

"Hey, I love you," Aaron said as he brushed at Spencer's eyes again. Spencer gave him a smile.

"I love you, too."

"So, the first thing that I think we should get out of the way is that I am not leaving you, not of my accord. If you get tired of me, fall for someone else. Anything along those lines, I'd leave. I'd probably stalk you through Jackson, but I'd leave you alone. I don't love easily. I used to, at one point in my life, but she kind of messed that up for everyone involved."

"I don't love easily, either. Or I don't think that I do. I've never felt for anyone like I do for you. Jackson's like an older brother, again I think. I never had a sibling."

"He loves you like that as well. Otherwise, he would probably have been in your bed."

"I had a meeting here with Jackson a little while ago, he was in bed with the sprained ankle and had issues moving around right after so I came to him. I saw someone leaving your room, he looked sleep-mussed, and I could see his clothes all over the room."

Aaron knew why Spencer thought he wasn't serious and Aaron blamed himself a little for that. He hadn't told Spencer about Victor at all. Though Spencer should have also asked. There was enough blame to go around on both of them, but that was in the past. They needed to strike ahead with a future where the past was learned from and mostly forgotten.

"That's Victor. He has a very low sex drive, and he's asexual. He likes sleeping close to people, and lately, he's been doing that with Jackson, but with Jackson's leg hurt, Victor didn't want to hurt him more. He's like an octopus. He'll cling and wrap around you, and his favorite thing is to throw a leg over his partner's legs. I should have mentioned him. Yes, I was one of the ones he went to when he did feel aroused or the want of sex of some kind, but now he goes to Jackson or Jake for that from what he told me."

"Oh," Spencer said, and he started to blush, but it still wasn't the right kind of blush.

"There is no need to feel ashamed. You didn't know. I didn't say. I guess we should both work on telling each other more."

"Yeah, I don't...I talk to my cats a lot and Jackson some, but I hate making him feel like he's the person I go to for all of that. He's a good friend, but I don't want him to think I'm using him just as that."

"He'll never feel that way. He's honored by how much you trust him, given everything. I know that we both know more than most about your family situation and everything, but that doesn't mean that we think you are using us."

Spencer nodded his head, but his eyes said that he didn't believe Aaron. Which meant that Aaron had a job of making him believe it by being there as much as he could. Thankfully, Spencer sometimes worked more hours than Aaron. They would both be getting time when they had it to be together. Spencer yawned, his jaw cracking from how wide he opened his mouth while doing it. Aaron threaded his fingers through Spencer's hair and pulled Spencer's head to where it was on his shoulder. Aaron could almost feel how tired Spencer was.

"Why don't we go nap?"

"Don't wanna move," Spencer muttered into Aaron's neck.

"We don't have to move far at all, Spencer. This is sort of the antechamber to my bedroom. Just one doorway and we don't have to go into the hall. Jackson was pretty old school when he named parts of the house. Instead of this being my 'living room,' it's my antechamber."

"Sounds like him," Spencer said as he yawned again.

Aaron scooted forward on the couch to where he could wrap Spencer's legs around his waist and stood up. It took a few seconds to steady himself as Spencer might be lithe, but he had muscle. Probably from the gym on campus. It was part of the routine for a lot of the heads of a particular area to go and workout together while talking about things that involved all of them. It had been helpful for some who weren't the greatest at the physical stuff. There were enough to help teach but also not to feel like they lacked in some way.

Slow and steady, Aaron made his way to his bedroom, he was kind of glad that the maid had already been in to change the sheets. It was the day of the week for it. That way the sheets smelled clean and didn't smell like Victor's body spray that he wore. He didn't want Spencer to have even an ounce of jealousy at that. Though he was looking forward to Spencer one day feeling secure enough in their relationship that he would defend Aaron's honor from those who flirted with him.

"No," Spencer said as Aaron tried to lay him down, he kept a hold of Aaron, and so it dropped them both down onto the bed. Aaron laughed as he rolled them to where they were on their sides.

"I was just going to get down to underwear and then strip you down before getting under covers with you," Aaron said.

Spencer pulled back to look Aaron in the face. His hair had flopped down into his face. Aaron smiled as he pushed it back and tucked it behind Spencer's ear. Spencer pushed him down onto his back and sprawled over him. It was the way they woke up most of the time. Aaron wiggled his arm under Spencer and wrapped it around to where he was holding him close. The other he laid on his chest for Spencer to cover with the hand that was there. Spencer closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep in seconds.

Aaron wasn't tired. He laid there and let Spencer sleep on him. He knew that Spencer rarely slept more than an hour when he napped during the day. Anything longer and he had trouble sleeping at night. Aaron set a mental note of the time so he could wake him up on time. Then they could talk more. Make plans on how they wanted to handle this kind of thing in the future. Aaron pressed a kiss to Spencer's forehead before he relaxed onto the bed.

Aaron looked at Spencer, who still had the blindfold over his eyes. Aaron had asked it of him, and Spencer had been a little hesitant before he had explained why he didn't precisely like blindfolds. Aaron had offered that if Spencer promised not to look, it would be fine with him. Spencer though had pushed that he wanted to try that keeping his eyes closed was always there if he freaked out with the blindfold on.

Spencer had talked long and hard about places that he didn't get to go and eat at anymore, more of just working a lot and sticking close to home and then his weekends being filled with just relaxing. So Aaron had chosen a place like that to eat at. Pie'n Burger had not changed at all it since Aaron had last been there over a decade ago. He remembered late nights with Jackson there when Jackson had gone back to Caltech to do a few classes there before he went elsewhere after Aaron had agreed to be the law side of it all.

It was open late, catering to college kids who would study until after most places were closed. It had been the place for milkshakes and good burgers, greasy french fries, and really the kinds of things that one went to a diner for. Aaron had loved it, but it had kind of fallen to the wayside as clients wanted to go to the places that served pretty food.

Aaron found a spot to mark the AMH and got out to go around and open the door for Spencer. As soon as the door was open, Spencer inhaled.

"Pie'n Burger," Spencer said with a smile.

"You were able to figure out where we were from the turns," Aaron said.

"No, I know this smell." Spencer's face was full of a grin. Aaron reached up and pulled the blindfold off. Spencer's eyes looked around before they settled onto Aaron's face. "You chose well."

"I'm glad. I'm thrilled you like this place. You've talked about it but talking about something in the past doesn't mean one still likes it."

"I hope that you brought enough money to feed me. I didn't eat lunch today. And we just had a tray of cheese and fruit as a snack after my little nap."

"Oh, I brought enough money to pay for everyone inside of there."

"Good." Spencer slipped his arm around Aaron's waist and let Aaron lead him into the restaurant.

The dinner was full of discussion of little to nothing of import after the heartfelt discussions of the afternoon. Aaron was really glad of that. They talked about college, things they did for fun. Spencer complained about all of the things that Jackson made him do that were not related to his actual education, but what Jackson called his social education. Including getting in drunk on his sixteenth birthday but also making sure that no one took advantage of him while he was drunk.

Aaron had a more sedate college experience, but then by that point, Jackson was still in college himself. There had been little for anything but education for them. Though Jackson did pull him out for fun things on occasion when he was in town after going away to finish out his degrees on the East Coast.

Spencer put away a milkshake before dinner even arrived, a burger, fries, and split his dessert with Aaron. Aaron wasn't sure how he was not in a food coma before they left. He was touchy, though. His eyes were full of happiness. Aaron hadn't seen that before. He had seen Spencer happy, but he hadn't seen him so full of happiness that his eyes were shining with it. Aaron wondered if his eyes looked that way. He hoped. He really hoped because he felt that way.

Aaron used his hand to shift the gears in the car, but the rest of the time it was on Spencer's thigh, or in his hand. Aaron didn't take Spencer back to his apartment. Though Aaron did text one of the valets for the house to be ready to head to Spencer's to feed the cats and check on them. Aaron had Spencer's keys already. He was ready to hand them off as well as the address. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to interact with the cats at all. He had a feeling that Curiosity would skin anyone that wasn't Spencer or Aaron alive.

Spencer was laughing as Aaron pushed him into the door of the house. There was an entryway from the area where Aaron parked his cars that would take them right up to his area. He caught Spencer's mouth in a kiss. Aaron only pulled back when he couldn't stand not being pressed skin to skin against Spencer.

"Inside," Aaron breathed as he pulled away from Spencer's mouth, sweet with the taste of coffee and dessert. He could get drunk on that taste. He could get drunk everything that Spencer was.

"Okay, but where inside?"

"In bed, proper. Like a first date should be," Aaron said.

"First dates shouldn't be full of sex. Whether it's on a bed or not. Not for strangers. Though we never were really strangers. So, Aaron Hotchner, how do you want me?"

"I want you naked and sitting on the bed by the time that I reach you. I need to lock up and have someone go and check on your cats." Aaron raised up Spencer's keys.

"I will be." Spencer wiggled from between Aaron and the door as he opened it and slipped through.

Aaron turned and cleared his throat. Michael, the most trusted valet that they had, stepped around the edge of the garage and looked at Aaron with a grin on his face. Aaron tossed the keys to him, followed by another set. It was one of Jackson's that he let the staff use on occasion. Michael nodded his head and went back outside as Aaron shut the garage door. He waited for the sound of the engine rev as it passed by before he shut and locked the inner door. He made sure it was chained as well before he went up to the upper floor. He found a trail of clothes that led from the top of the stairs to the doorway to Aaron's bedroom. Spencer's underwear was hanging from the hook that was affixed to the door. It was usually used to hang up Aaron's suits after they were picked up from the dry cleaners as Aaron had a specific rotation on them and so whoever was picking them up just hung them up there for Aaron to take care of later.

"Cheeky bastard," Aaron said as he opened up the door. Spencer was sitting on the bed, his legs spread with his hard cock on display.

"But I'm your cheeky bastard," Spencer said.

"Up at the headboard on your knees."

Spencer looked at him with a strange look, but he did as Aaron asked. His eyes watched Aaron strip out of his clothes. Spencer had picked out the outfit to match the one that he had in a bag in the car. Aaron had been happy with what Spencer picked, but he was glad to be naked as he crawled onto the bed. He stopped right in front of Spencer, his knees touching the insides of the thighs of Spencer. Aaron reached out and cupped Spencer's face to draw him forward. Spencer moved with grace as he climbed into Aaron's lap. Aaron scooted him back until Spencer was pressed into the headboard. It was flat for just this reason. Aaron wrapped Spencer's legs around him tight and pushed up, pressing Spencer into it more. He blindly fumbled for the lube that he had set out on the nightstand before they had left.

Aaron slicked his fingers and lubed his cock before shifting just enough to spread some over Spencer's hole.

"That's enough," Spencer said.

"Are you sure?" Aaron asked.

"Yes." Spencer wrapped his arm around Aaron's shoulders and helped Aaron get the right angle to thrust inside of him. Aaron pulled Spencer's lower body to him, getting an even better angle as he bottomed out inside of Spencer. Aaron dug into the bed to push up at the knees, using his whole body to either fuck Spencer or hold him in place. Faces pressed cheek to cheek, Aaron felt the sweat start to build on him. He braced a hand on the headboard to help with leverage. It wasn't against the wall sex, but it was sex all the same. Spencer's legs help him thrust up and down on Aaron's cock just as much as Aaron's legs him thrust up and into and then back out of him again.

Aaron wasn't sure where Spencer started, and he ended. They were a tangled mass of writhing bodies. Aaron was sure they looked like a demon of some kind. It was wonderful. Even as Aaron's purchase on Spencer's hip gave way to slick sweat skin that he could barely hold onto. Spencer was having the same issue with his hands that were on Aaron's shoulders.

Spencer's body stiffened, and he gasped, his voice robbed from him with his orgasm. Aaron couldn't hold on past the squeezing of muscles around his cock, and he tipped his head down to bury his face into Spencer's neck as he gasped his orgasm into slick skin. Aaron forced his legs to lock to hold him up as his body tried to give out. He waited for Spencer to start to relax some before he slumped down onto his back with Spencer on top of him. He trailed his hand up and down Spencer's spine.

Aaron knew that Spencer had come back to himself when he felt kissed being placed on the skin of his neck. Usually, he would have felt the cool air hit them as the heating kicked on and blew about the room, but he felt it all over his body from the cooling sweat. At some point, they would have to get up and go shower before tumbling back into bed after Aaron had pulled the top comforter off. It wasn't going to last them getting off the bed without getting something on it. It was no matter because Aaron had plenty. He hated using them and getting them dirty. He usually stripped the bed down to just the fitted sheet and swapped that out.

"We are sweaty," Spencer said. He lifted his head and placed a kiss on Aaron's skin.

"We are."

"I don't care," Spencer said with a laugh before placed another kiss on the base of Aaron's neck. He kissed up the ridge of Aaron's neck before kissing his lips.

"I know you don't." Aaron laughed and moved his legs to push them down to the bed to where they could both lay down better. Spencer moved willingly and draped himself along Aaron's body. He tucked himself in like he was made to fit there with Aaron's body. Like he belonged there and always had.

"Who does the housekeeping?"

"We keep a staff of twenty on hand to take care of the house and everything inside of it, not including the groundskeeper and his little bit of staff. Mellie takes care of my rooms. She's the eldest daughter of Lori, the Head of House. She kind of grew up in the family. She was the head of the house of the first house that Jackson bought with his money from the company. Mellie went to school paid for by Jackson as her mother was wonderful for us. She ruled us and our house until Jackson just gave her total control. Mellie came back after college. She likes this kind of work as it allows her to do hobbies that she likes when she wants."

"I like the family you and Jackson had built from nothing. Cobbled together with people that you like and people who like you. There are a few people in school that did that after their parents threw them out. I've hired some as well. It's wonderful to make a family."

"You've made one too, with people at the company."

"Oh, I know. I made one with Jackson. I hope to make one with you as well."

"We will. Slow and steady. We will make ourselves a little family of two that will love and be happy for the rest of our lives."

Aaron rolled Spencer onto his back and kissed him. He poured the emotions that he wasn't ready to speak into that kiss. The emotions that Spencer wasn't ready to hear, declarations that went past just love. They both would be one day, and then Aaron would say them. Until then, he was going to enjoy what he almost lost and be happy that life was good to him.

# The End

**Author's Note:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story! 
> 
> I can be found on MeWe (a FB replacement that's better) [here](https://mewe.com/i/beccaqueen1), join me there and we can discuss my fics and whatnot. My writing page for the moment is kind of dead in the water on a FB front as links are being banned for content. 
> 
> The Criminal Minds Reverse Bang sign-ups are open until June 30th! Please check it out [here](https://criminalmindsbangblog.wordpress.com/).


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